Recognizing sacrifice on Memorial Day

By Rob Hurtgen

This past week I found myself trying to explain Memorial Day to a friend to whom the United States is not their home country. They were trying to understand what Memorial Day was about, who was being honored and why. Looking back at this conversation, it was really helpful to think through what this holiday is about and articulate that to someone for whom it is foreign.

Memorial Day is many things, the greatest of which is sacrifice. The Bible in John 13:5 does not speak of Memorial Day, but of great sacrifice that great love can rise to when it says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." This verse speaks of some principles of love.

Love can be measured. "I love my mom" and "I love hot dogs" use the same words but have completely different levels of meaning. We know, then, that love can be measured at least in terms of greater and lower. When we love greatly, we give more freely.

Memorial Day reminds us of the love that was measured when men and women showed up and stood up for the cause of our nation.

Love is revealed in actions. Showing up at your children's ballgame is a work of love. Putting aside your agenda so another can advance is a work of love. When you truly love someone, your actions will show that.

Memorial Day challenges us to look at the actions men and women in uniform embraced.

Love knows the costs of sacrifice. Of this much could be said. The particular context of John 13 speaks of the sacrifice Jesus willingly embraced for all of humanity. The principle of sacrifice reminds us love knows the costs of sacrifice and acts knowing the risks.

Memorial Day reminds us of all the young men whose lives were cut short on V-Day. Of the pilots and sailors who never came home from the Pacific. It reminds us of the men who were forever lost in the jungles. Of those who gave limbs to an enemy who never showed his face, but now haunts them every day.

This Memorial Day, pause to remember the men and women of our armed services who gave of themselves so we could live as we choose.