Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a day set aside to remember and honor the people who have died while in military service.
I want to share an observation.
Too often we leave off the word “service” when referring to the military. In so doing we are overlooking the sacred, the fact that many have sacrificed their lives so that we may be free!
Sacred and sacrifice have the same Latin root which is “sacer,” meaning holy.
To sacrifice means to make holy, to make sacred. Could we then say that what was sacrificed, (time, health and even life) and the freedoms sacrificed for both become sacred?
Because of the service offered by so many in the military we have been blessed with:
- Freedom of religion
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of the press
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of petition
- The right to bear arms
- The right to equal justice
- The right to own private property
And the right to enjoy many other freedoms. Such as:
- Freedom to live or travel anywhere in our nation
- Freedom to work at any job for which we can qualify
- Freedom to marry and raise a family
- Freedom to receive a free education in good public schools
- Freedom to join a political party, a union, and other legal groups.
Many sacrifices have been made for these blessed freedoms to be enjoyed.
As we go about our activities today, let’s be mindful and ever so grateful for the freedoms that we have been granted by those who have made holy the very freedoms we enjoy through their ultimate service and sacrifice!
With love,
