Memorial Day 2021
2 min readGreater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 KJV
It is not an exaggeration to say that the last year has tested the fortitude and commitment to freedom of every American. Basic human liberties – recognized by our founding documents but given by God Himself – have been attacked directly by our political leaders and many of our fellow citizens. Fear has too often won the day. Our belief in fundamental American values continues to be tested on a daily basis as forces within our own country try to further divide us against each other.
In the midst of these trials, we come together to remember that there are fellow Americans who have made the decision that these supreme values are worth giving their lives for. Not only are they willing to die securing these values for Americans, but they are willing to do it to secure them for the people of the world. This is core to the American identity – the American dream. Our fallen service members are the embodiment of the American proclamation to the world that we will die before we will allow the evil of the world to take freedom from others. We will die before we bend the knee to anyone other than God himself. We will die before we will give up our freedom or allow it to be taken from our countrymen.
No matter how many people try to label this country as fundamentally flawed or permanently stained by human sinfulness and the profound injustices of the past, the truth about the United States is in our beliefs, ideals, and values – and these are enshrined in our laws and drawn from the eternal law of God Himself.
This is the honor borne by every man and woman who has put on the uniform and swore to uphold and defend the Constitution. These patriots swore to defend our beliefs and our values, and give their lives if needed. Millions of our countrymen have paid the ultimate price, and today is the day to honor their sacrifice and reaffirm the fundamentals of this great nation and the true cost of freedom.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
From the preamble of the Declaration of Independence
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