Memorial Day for Millenials
The lost significance of a good thing is tragic. This coming Monday, our nation will be collectively observing Memorial Day thanks in part to a law passed by Congress in 1968. That wasn't the beginning of Memorial Day, but it was when the holiday was officially set aside to commemorate lost soldiers from any and every conflict our nation has been involved in.
The significance of the holiday goes back to the Civil War, however, where it was first called Decoration Day - a day for businesses and schools to shut down and for the community to collectively decorate the graves of the soldiers who died in that war, still our bloodiest conflict by a long shot.
Two World Wars added significance, primarily due to their prominence in civilian life and the heroic portrayal of our soldiers. The public unity of opinion on our involvement in those wars made it easy to collectively celebrate the sacrifice they made. But World War II proved to be the last conflict to date that we'd enter with true national unity. The increased prominence and access to major media outlets made it hard for the US Government to control the message, and as a result, conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan since have fueled a growing division among Americans that we can only hope has peaked in its animosity by now. The added (rightful) focus on PTSD and Veteran care has further complicated our national perception of war.
With all that in mind, it's challenging for a younger adult to celebrate something their own generation can't agree should have happened. I'm not one to say we had no business in the aforementioned conflicts, but I'm not naive enough to believe we've batted .1000 on those decisions either. Nonetheless, as a pastor and invested observer of culture, I can't help but think this holiday has lost it's shine for younger Americans. There are some, however, who still enthusiastically honor those lost in battle or died after a life of service. I'm among them, and it has nothing to do with whether or not we should have been there.
Ross Pippin was his name. Mr. Ross was a deacon at the first church my dad served as pastor in Panama City, Florida. We moved there in 1991 and were there for almost 9 years. During that time, this man became a friend and mentor to me and my brother. We spent lots of time in his sprawling Edenic back yard, fishing and gardening, but my favorite thing to do there was to talk about World War II with someone who was there. Mr. Ross fascinated us with the stories of his exploits, and showed us all his patches, pictures, maps - even his bronze star. I have fond memories of all these things. My most potent recollections stem from his testimony of God's faithfulness to him and to the Allies in WWII. He always emphasized how outmatched the Allies were and yet somehow they kept earning key victories and eventually the war itself. Mr. Ross wasn't making a point about our nation's collective religious identity, but he was convinced that in such a time as WWII, our posture toward tyranny matched God's concern for justice and righteousness. To this day I'm comfortable with that assumption, and Mr. Ross is the biggest reason why.
He didn't just talk about God's sovereign hand over the big picture events of the war. Mr. Ross told story after story of how he missed being shot in the heart or the head while dropping out of the sky. He said that sometimes he'd find bullet holes in his clothes and his pack when the dust settled, but never was he hit. He said he was always in the right spot at the right time thanks to God's guiding hand over his own life. Mr. Ross didn't think that was because God favored him over those who weren't so fortunate. No, Mr. Ross believed God had a specific plan for his life that required his protection beyond the battle fields of Europe. He believed God was big enough to conquer Hitler, but paid close enough attention to take care of him too. This was and increasingly is a rare perspective.
Who knows? Maybe God saw how big an impact he'd have on my life and preserved him for that purpose. I can't be certain of that, but I do know with all certainty that my views on God's sovereignty and care for his children have been informed primarily by this man's stories and their corroboration in the Scriptures. And my appreciation for holidays like Memorial Day stems from his influence as well. I was very fortunate to meet this man - to hear about one of our most important wars from someone who was there. The older I get the more I understand how rare and valuable that experience was for me.
So what's preventing young people in 2018 from seeing the significance of Memorial Day? I'm sure it's got something to do with the cultural tumult of our day. You might even say we're too close to it to appreciate it thanks to the 24 hour news cycle, social media and vivid graphic portrayal in movies and video games. But if you ask me, it's not that we're too close. It's actually distance that has robbed us of our appreciation. You might not be able to find a living WWII vet to tell you his war stories like I did. It also might prove difficult to find a veteran of a more recent conflict who's willing to open up about it. But maybe you don't need the stories. Maybe you just need the friendship.
I encourage you to find someone who is close to the sacrifice and get to know them. Watch how they live, and see the weight they give to things that matter. Serve them and see their gratitude, be served by them and marvel at their humility. Tell them thanks for their sacrifice and if they don't share much about it, that's ok. Return the favor by leaving your opinions about WMD's, waterboarding and nation-building out of the conversation. Let these humble servants to whom we owe our very lives and freedom be your window into the heroes who have fallen in times past. And when you're eating that hot dog or swimming with family on your day off Monday, you'll have a bit more motivation to be thankful for those who stared evil in the face so you wouldn't have to.
It reminds me of someone else who took our place in the face of certain death. Jesus, the one John calls our advocate, stood in our place to accept God's wrath so we wouldn't have to. Let's look at our war heroes as little testimonies to the grace of God we've received in Christ and renew our appreciation for them on Memorial Day while at the same time being stirred to worship the Savior who gave us the greatest example of self-sacrifice on the Cross.
The significance of the holiday goes back to the Civil War, however, where it was first called Decoration Day - a day for businesses and schools to shut down and for the community to collectively decorate the graves of the soldiers who died in that war, still our bloodiest conflict by a long shot.
Two World Wars added significance, primarily due to their prominence in civilian life and the heroic portrayal of our soldiers. The public unity of opinion on our involvement in those wars made it easy to collectively celebrate the sacrifice they made. But World War II proved to be the last conflict to date that we'd enter with true national unity. The increased prominence and access to major media outlets made it hard for the US Government to control the message, and as a result, conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan since have fueled a growing division among Americans that we can only hope has peaked in its animosity by now. The added (rightful) focus on PTSD and Veteran care has further complicated our national perception of war.
With all that in mind, it's challenging for a younger adult to celebrate something their own generation can't agree should have happened. I'm not one to say we had no business in the aforementioned conflicts, but I'm not naive enough to believe we've batted .1000 on those decisions either. Nonetheless, as a pastor and invested observer of culture, I can't help but think this holiday has lost it's shine for younger Americans. There are some, however, who still enthusiastically honor those lost in battle or died after a life of service. I'm among them, and it has nothing to do with whether or not we should have been there.
Ross Pippin was his name. Mr. Ross was a deacon at the first church my dad served as pastor in Panama City, Florida. We moved there in 1991 and were there for almost 9 years. During that time, this man became a friend and mentor to me and my brother. We spent lots of time in his sprawling Edenic back yard, fishing and gardening, but my favorite thing to do there was to talk about World War II with someone who was there. Mr. Ross fascinated us with the stories of his exploits, and showed us all his patches, pictures, maps - even his bronze star. I have fond memories of all these things. My most potent recollections stem from his testimony of God's faithfulness to him and to the Allies in WWII. He always emphasized how outmatched the Allies were and yet somehow they kept earning key victories and eventually the war itself. Mr. Ross wasn't making a point about our nation's collective religious identity, but he was convinced that in such a time as WWII, our posture toward tyranny matched God's concern for justice and righteousness. To this day I'm comfortable with that assumption, and Mr. Ross is the biggest reason why.
He didn't just talk about God's sovereign hand over the big picture events of the war. Mr. Ross told story after story of how he missed being shot in the heart or the head while dropping out of the sky. He said that sometimes he'd find bullet holes in his clothes and his pack when the dust settled, but never was he hit. He said he was always in the right spot at the right time thanks to God's guiding hand over his own life. Mr. Ross didn't think that was because God favored him over those who weren't so fortunate. No, Mr. Ross believed God had a specific plan for his life that required his protection beyond the battle fields of Europe. He believed God was big enough to conquer Hitler, but paid close enough attention to take care of him too. This was and increasingly is a rare perspective.
Who knows? Maybe God saw how big an impact he'd have on my life and preserved him for that purpose. I can't be certain of that, but I do know with all certainty that my views on God's sovereignty and care for his children have been informed primarily by this man's stories and their corroboration in the Scriptures. And my appreciation for holidays like Memorial Day stems from his influence as well. I was very fortunate to meet this man - to hear about one of our most important wars from someone who was there. The older I get the more I understand how rare and valuable that experience was for me.
So what's preventing young people in 2018 from seeing the significance of Memorial Day? I'm sure it's got something to do with the cultural tumult of our day. You might even say we're too close to it to appreciate it thanks to the 24 hour news cycle, social media and vivid graphic portrayal in movies and video games. But if you ask me, it's not that we're too close. It's actually distance that has robbed us of our appreciation. You might not be able to find a living WWII vet to tell you his war stories like I did. It also might prove difficult to find a veteran of a more recent conflict who's willing to open up about it. But maybe you don't need the stories. Maybe you just need the friendship.
I encourage you to find someone who is close to the sacrifice and get to know them. Watch how they live, and see the weight they give to things that matter. Serve them and see their gratitude, be served by them and marvel at their humility. Tell them thanks for their sacrifice and if they don't share much about it, that's ok. Return the favor by leaving your opinions about WMD's, waterboarding and nation-building out of the conversation. Let these humble servants to whom we owe our very lives and freedom be your window into the heroes who have fallen in times past. And when you're eating that hot dog or swimming with family on your day off Monday, you'll have a bit more motivation to be thankful for those who stared evil in the face so you wouldn't have to.
It reminds me of someone else who took our place in the face of certain death. Jesus, the one John calls our advocate, stood in our place to accept God's wrath so we wouldn't have to. Let's look at our war heroes as little testimonies to the grace of God we've received in Christ and renew our appreciation for them on Memorial Day while at the same time being stirred to worship the Savior who gave us the greatest example of self-sacrifice on the Cross.
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