Shade Tree Wisdom 5/26/08

Memorial Day, and the morning walk was especially quiet. No cars starting, no yellow busses rumbling, hardly any traffic at all. Quiet.

And I thought of what we are observing today, the deaths of so many through the years to fight for the freedoms we have and the sort of life we live in this country.

Jesus said there would ever be “wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 25,6. This is followed by other disasters, and things will become so bad that “the love of many shall wax cold”, but “This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come’. Vv. 12.14.

This truth was not referred to or expressed in the Memorial Day Celebration at the nation’s capitol last night. There were bands and singers and speakers to remind us of the events, with references to the memorials erected to remember the various wars. Veterans had been invited and seated in the front rows. It was all very impressive. There were Generals and Admirals and many officials. But. .

They had invited singers, several “award winning” and “winners of many grammys” to sing special songs. Maybe it is my years, but I could not understand a word of what they sang. What ever happened to the Kate Smiths of other years? Singers who sang with fervor and feeling and one could clearly understand what they were singing, because they enunciated clearly.

I was paying careful attention to the faces of the veterans as they were shown during these events, and one saw sadness, indifference, boredom, but never any smile or glimmer of “hey, this is wonderful".

Ah, different times, different ways maybe. Better? I think not.

But let’s remember what these lives we celebrate cost, what they died for, and cherish the country where the lord has allowed us to live, and work, and pray, and under His blessing, proper and worship Him. May God ever bless that worship and that sort of life.

GPD 5/26/08