I want to thank those who have served our country as members of the armed services. We appreciate the service you have given, often very sacrificially, on our behalf. And invite us to pray for the day when occasions such as this are a distant memory, when we have stopped creating conditions for which there is a need for more veterans to honor. As many of you know, Veterans Day was originally observed as Armistice Day marking the end of “the war to end all wars” at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. In Latin, armistice means literally “arms stand still.” In 1918, Congress declared this date “should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” Since it ended up not being the war that ended all wars, in 1954 it seems they gave up on the ideals of Armistice Day and renamed it Veterans Day. Instead of pursuing peace anymore, we turned it into a day for heroes. I would imagine that many if not most veterans would rather pursue peace than be honored for bravery. The words of the original call to Armistice Day still resonate: first, a day of thanksgiving for the service of veterans. But let’s not forget their caregivers who walk with them after bullets and bombs have stopped flying but the ravages of war continue through injuries of body, mind, and spirit. Secondly, Armistice Day was declared a day of prayer by people of all faiths for the time when arms stand still. Let’s also pray for the end of the alarming number of suicides by veterans. Or find veterans who are homeless on our streets. But not just thoughts and prayers. The third thing Congress declared in 1918 is a day of exercises to perpetuate peace through “good will and mutual understanding between nations.” What exercises could we imagine to pursue this ideal? But perhaps we could start by not just working toward peace between nations but among the people of our own deeply divided and polarized nation. What if we worked together for a world that doesn’t need more heroes? So we can stop making more veterans. Can’t we agree on that? So, thank you to all who have given your service. And together let’s work and pray for the day when such service will no longer be necessary. Have a grateful day.
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AuthorI love being a Archives
April 2024
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