Memorial Day Matters | May 28
Pastor Heather offers the blog post this week, as a parent of someone in the military. As we approach the Memorial Day holiday, may we remember all those who gave their lives -- willingly and unwillingly -- at the hands of hate. It happened on our own soil, 100 years ago during the Tulsa Race Massacre. It still happens today. I hope Pastor Heather’s words touch you as much as they touched me…
When our oldest son, Spencer, was serving in Army intelligence, he was deployed to both Afghanistan for a year and Africa for nine months. This time of uncertainty for his safety was excruciating for those of us who love him. We were able to talk to him by email and even on Facebook periodically. I got where I would check Facebook just to see if there was a green “active” dot by his name. He would talk to his wife on Facebook so I didn’t need to speak to him, I just wanted to make sure he was alive and well. At the time, I couldn’t imagine how much worse this was for those who loved someone who served in the military before the internet made accessibility so much easier. I said to my husband that everyone should have a family member in military service so they would understand the sacrifice. For families who share a wife, husband, child, or sibling with their country, it is important to know that their sacrifice means something and the country that they represent remembers the sacrifice.
On this Memorial Day weekend, I am reminded of all the years that I have gone to the cemetery with my family to put out the flowers of those we have lost and loved. The flags mark the graves of those who served our country and fought for freedom. So many flags and so many names. As we face the horror of what happened in our Tulsa community 100 years ago, there are no graves to mark, no flags that fly in remembrance. All we have are the statues and stories of those who lived to tell. Those who fight for freedom fight for all of us regardless of race, religion or even gender. They fight for the ideal that “all men are created equal” and that this is the land where anyone can start over and make a life for themselves. As a history major in college, I used to say that if more people would actually study history, then maybe we would stop making the same mistakes over and over again.
Memorial Day matters more than picnics and barbeques and going to the lake. It is a reminder of those who have sacrificed everything for the ideals of this nation. It is a reminder that we all stand for something together and as we look back, that we might create something forward that reaches the potential for freedom and equality. Please pray with me for all those who remember someone they loved who gave their life for our country, our community, and our hoped-for reality. On Monday at 10:00 am, I will be worshiping with Vernon AME Church and the interfaith community as we remember and raise our voices of hope to God together.
Blessings, Pastor Heather
