“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
It was April 1863 in Columbus, Mississippi. After decorating the graves of her two sons who died fighting for their beloved south-land, a lady walked to two mounds of dirt at the corner of the cemetery to place memorial flowers there also. “What are you doing?” a friend shouted, “Those are the graves of two union soldiers.” With compassion, the mother replied, “I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours.”
That deed of love set in motion our celebration known as Memorial Day where we honor our heroes, both from past wars to the present. Because of their sacrifice, we are free to assemble together and worship God. I never thought I came from a military family, but I began to reminisce and realized that many of our men did serve their country. On my mother’s side, my grandfather served in the British army in 1898. His brother served His Majesty in World War I and gave his life, along with many British boys in the Battle of Somme. More recently, my brother and nephew served in the Air Force and my grandson in the Army.
My husband’s family had a more interesting history of wartime. He had a great, great uncle who fought for a Michigan regiment in the Civil War and spent time in the notorious Andersonville prison as a prisoner of war. His father served with General Patton’s army in World War II. Dad would tell about the Allied assault on North Africa, landing in darkness and establishing a beachhead. Since he was a farm boy and knew how to drive a truck, he was commissioned as a truck driver. After Africa, came the hard drive through Italy, fighting from Sicily to northern Italy where he witnessed the death of Mussolini. On one of his nightly reconnaissance missions, a bomb hit the dirt road in front of his truck, it was a “dud” and didn’t explode. God had His eye on him! More recently, my brother-in-law served in Viet Nam. His son, James Priestap made the supreme sacrifice and gave his life in Iraq in 2006. He was one of the 819 casualties of the Iraq War. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
We remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today, and we salute them for their bravery. But let us not forget heaven’s greatest soldier, our Lord Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us all! That great Soldier entered earth’s battlefield knowing it would cost Him everything. He won a great victory, not only for a nation, but for all humanity. He gave His life to set the captive free. He laid down His life, not only for His friends, but for His enemies! He left his home in heaven to suffer pain, ridicule, hate and finally death on a Roman cross. He laid aside his heavenly clothing and took on the body of a man to suffer rejection, hunger, thirst, loneliness and homelessness. May we always remember what He accomplished for us: His perfect service, His perfect sacrifice and His perfect salvation! “He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory,” 1 Timothy 3:16. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
Mission accomplished!! Hallelujah!!
Your friend, Jean