Reminders and Memorials

Several countries have special days set aside to pay tribute to those killed in the service of their countries. Today is ours. One tradition is to put American flags on graves of the fallen, and people tend to blur Veterans Day (which honors living people in the armed forces) with Memorial Day.

It is a good thing to have holidays to prompt us to remember the fallen, and also for other noteworthy times in a culture or individual lives. We do something similar with birthdays and anniversaries. Establishing reminders is found in the Bible.

Memorial Day flags and cross / Pxhere

God instituted symbols and feasts to prompt Israel to remember him and what he did for them. The most obvious in the Old Testament is the rainbow, which is God's promise to never flood the entire earth again. Another famous reminder is Passover, which had detailed instructions for the observance. Yesterday at church, we had Communion (the Lord's Supper). Passover was a strong foreshadowing of the time when the Creator of the universe was crucified on a cross for our sins and bodily raised from the dead on the third day. These are very important, and other times of remembrance (including those that are personal) are worth observing.

What immediately comes to mind when you hear “Memorial Day”? Mattress and car sales? Sizzling hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill? Parades honoring our armed forces? For most of us, Memorial Day brings back a flood of memories from our childhood onward. It’s a time of family, fellowship, and sometimes camping or kicking off the start of summer. But above all, Memorial Day is a time of remembrance.

 To finish reading, see "Honoring Sacrifice: Memorial Day and the Importance of Reminders."