Remember Sacrifice

Even as an aspiring immortal who tries always to keep one foot in heaven, a person who wants more than anything to live happily ever after in Kingdom Come, I am in awe of those Americans who from day-one to now have been willing to go to war knowing they could be killed. They are martyrs for the cause of freedom and democracy.

Freedom to think and say whatever is in our hearts, and democracy which is the Greek idea of diffusing power among the people seem to be just like God’s plan to allow mankind to choose between life and death, to choose between following Him down the path to immortality or freely going the other way and to choose those in authority over us even as we can freely submit to His power and authority.

A martyr who is also an aspiring immortal knows that God will catch him or her when (s)he throws his or her body into dangerous places to protect the American democratic faith. To me, that person is a saint and should be honored like one.

To be brave enough to risk your life, and then to lose your life in this world so that others may live free and freely submit to God’s authority seems to be just like Jesus Christ marching up to Golgotha. I know that Jesus died so humanity could become immortal; He died to destroy death, but doesn’t it seem similar when brave (wo)men die to destroy tyranny and oppression?

I have read many stories that take place during World War II and each time I am amazed at the atrocities and how widespread the horrors became, and then I flash forward to today and it amazes me more that as one enemy was vanquished, another one surfaced. I suppose on this old earth evil will never stay away because men’s hearts are filled with a lust for power over others. Yet, we must continue to fight evil on a grand scale for the same reason we must fight it within. What a relief to know that someday and forever we will be rid of the foolishness of evil.

Until then, I want to thank the brave ones who risked their lives and lost them for the sake of freedom and democracy. I suppose Memorial Day is not too different from All-Saints day. I wonder if they can hear us thanking them, if they can see us playing and having fun with our freedom and if this makes them very happy.