Not just another holiday

Today is Memorial Day. CNN had a poll asking if "we" thought that Memorial Day had lost its meaning. Is it just another day to sleep in? Spend time with family? Throw a couple steaks on the grill? Or is really a day to remember the fallen heroes and those who serve our country to protect our rights and the rights of others...

Having grown up in a different culture, I remember always being awed when we would come back to the States. The clean roads, closed sewage systems, potable drinking water from the tap, no street kids... I never took that for granted. Now that I've lived here for 8 years, I find myself beginning to develop the calloused heart that I found so concerning in the average American on the street when I first came here.

So what is Memorial Day if it's not just another holiday? As a believer, I think it holds deeper meaning. Yes, it is a time to remember those who have given their lives and personal freedoms so that we can keep ours. I know several veterans who have lost their lives for my country. And I know so many more who carry both physical and emotional wounds from war. To them, I am grateful beyond words. I never want to make light of their sacrifice for us.

But the deeper meaning lies in the ultimate sacrifice of the ultimate war. Christ gave up His life so that we could have freedom beyond our understanding. The war is for our eternity, the sacrifice is the cross. But the beauty of Christ's ultimate sacrifice is that we can rejoice in it. For by His stripes we are healed...For many Americans, it can be hard to equate the sacrifice of our servicemen when we don't see the suffering other parts of the world experience without the freedoms we have. But we all experience life without the greatest freedom of all. Christ's sacrifice is absolutely personal, worth appreciating, and worth accepting. For this, I am truly grateful.