On Wednesday, we as a nation will pause to honor those who fought to protect our country and especially its Christian heritage.
As we reflect on the supreme sacrifices our soldiers made for us, we should call to mind the sad fact that we have largely failed in our own duties to be worthy heralds of their distinguished legacy.
Today, unlike in past times, religious sentiments are increasingly ranked among the unwelcome leftovers of antiquity. Symbols such as the Cross, the Ten Commandments, nativity scenes and even the name “God” are being held up to scorn and ridicule. Everything in public life risks being desacralized – persons, places, pledges, prayers, practices, words, sacred writings, religious formulae, symbols, ceremonies.
As religious life grows diffident we see the most momentous matters placed among trifles, and trivialities glorified. Values and norms that held societies together and drew people to higher ideals are laughed at and thrown overboard. Jesus continues to be ridiculed.
Where our soldiers fought bravely so that we might have a better future, our generation lacks true concern for the future. This is evident in our overuse of resources, the degradation of the environment, the oppression of women, the neglect of family values, the ignoring of ethical norms and the abandonment of religious traditions.
On Wednesday, let us pause to honor the fallen. Let us also pause to evaluate our own lives – the Christian lives our soldiers won for us.
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