"Forces Us To Remember"

CS Lewis Learning in Wartime-

What does war do to death? It certainly does not make it more frequent; 100 percent of us die, and the percentage cannot be increased. It puts several deaths earlier; but I hardly suppose that that is what we fear. Certainly when the moment comes, it will make little difference how many years we have behind us. Does it increase our chance of a painful death? I doubt it. As far as I can find out, what we call natural death is usually preceded by suffering; and a battlefield is one of the very few places where one has a reasonable prospect of dying with no pain at all. Does it decrease our chances of dying at peace with God? I cannot believe it. If active service does not persuade a man to prepare for death, what conceivable concatenation of circumstance would? Yet war does do something to death. It forces us to remember it.



Photo by Miss Presley Photography
This is a picture taken just two weeks ago at the homecoming of my nephew Jeremiah. He serves in the United States Army. Here he is embraced by his wife Chloe as he returns after serving a year in Afghanistan. Thank you both for your sacrifice.

(Here are a couple pictures taken this weekend of our sons Adam and Aaron. They are member's of the Civil Air Patrol, an Air Force auxiliary program. To show respect and honor to veterans their squadron places flags on grave sites for Memorial Day. )



The irony of the word freedom is that it is not at all free. There was a cost but it was paid by someone else. The freedoms we have have been purchased at great cost and continue to be preserved by the continual sacrifice of others. Others died on our behalf. Others serve on our behalf. It is a great exchange. As a Christian the parallel is significant. My freedom here in America is a shadow of the eternal freedom that has been purchased for me. Just as men and women died fighting for my freedom so Christ died for my eternal freedom. We should remember this.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18