Thank You!

Tomorrow we have a national holiday called Memorial Day.  

In the late 1860’s many towns & cities began to hold ceremonies to honor the many fallen soldiers from the Civil War.  Waterloo, NY first celebrated this on May 5, 1866.  In 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo as the official birthplace of Memorial Day.  For decades it was celebrated on May 30, but in 1968 Congress declared it would be uniformly celebrated on the last Monday in May each year.  It went into effect in 1971 and was declared a federal holiday.*  

I believe that it’s very easy for people to forget the real reason for “celebrations” held on this day.  Since it’s a holiday off work for many, their focus is just on relaxing and having fun – never giving thought to the holiday’s true meaning – and, that’s sad.  The statistics of Americans lost in major American wars is staggering: 1,304,447.  (The Civil War alone claimed 620,000 lives, followed by World War II with 405,399.)**  In 2019 there were only 10 American cities with a population over 1 million** – so the lives lost in our wars is like eradicating one of our largest cities completely.  We should never forget those details.  “No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.”  (John 15:13 AMP)  

As Christians, we have the ultimate example of that kind of sacrificial love – “But think about this: while we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed His powerful love to us in a tangible display—the Anointed One died for us.”  (Romans 5:8 VOICE)  Jesus paid the ultimate price, laying down His life for us – His friends.

So tomorrow as we celebrate our American holiday of remembrance for the sacrifices of so many over the years – let’s not forget to also be thankful for our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ, who served, sacrificed and gave up His life for us all.

Written by Karran Martin – May 25, 2024

[Bold emphasis is mine]

*Facts from history.com

**Facts from statista.com