Memorial Day is about recognizing those who have given their lives for the service of the United States of America. It is a sad striking fact but too often Christians fail to acknowledge enough the sacrifices that have been made for the freedom to believe what you want. Their have been more martyred for their faith in Jesus in the last 100 years than in the last 1900 combined( The Lions Den by Nina Shea) There are missionaries like Vijay Kumar who publicly stoned by Hindu extremists in 2006 for Christian preaching. 3 missionaries murdered in Turkey who worked for translating the Bible. Mushtaq Gill , a Pakistani Christian murdered in February 2009 on the outskirts of Faisalabad because he refused to convert to Islam. They join the saints of Hebrews 11 in the great cloud of witnesses.
The next time you are discouraged because it is raining on Sunday and you might have to get a little wet to get out of the house and actually make it to worship, remember the lives of these who gave their all. We are so blessed. I thought yesterday as we celebrated what has become just another day to be out from work, that we have been given a freedom to enjoy cooking out, enjoy being with friends and enjoy the pleasures this land affords us.
When our 16 year olds are not told what this day really means then we fail to carry on the tradition of honoring the martyrs for our country and their faith. The unpopularity of a crucified Jesus is causing quite a storm. Not only did men and women die in service to their country but Jesus died as our Savior. The message is being watered down to be more palatable to the unbeliever but the removal of the cross always renders the message ineffective and mediocre at best. Christianity therefore is wounded in the very place it should be exalted.
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