My (Conflicted) Thoughts on Memorial Day Weekend
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“Blessed are the dead...”
-Revelation 13:13
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. where we
remember the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces,
observed every year on the last Monday of May.
The reactions to Memorial Day across our country are
certainly diverse.
I know more than a few religious people who refuse to
participate in the holiday altogether because they feel that to acknowledge it
is to approve of war (both past and present)
.
I know many friends and family members who grieve the loss
of a loved one that never came home from the battlefield.
Still, for many others that I know they’re just excited to
get out their grills and kegs to enjoy a day of rest with family.
As a person of faith, I must say I find myself in all three
of these categories to some degree, and I approach the holiday feeling very
conflicted.
Do I like war? No. I don’t ever want to see another war in
my lifetime, but I know that I probably will.
Do I miss family and friends who never came back home? Yes.
Do I enjoy a good family barbecue? You bet.
In my conflicted state of mind on this holiday I’m usually
the guy sitting at a safe, contemplative distance from the celebrations at the
family barbecue eating my chicken or steak, sipping a beer, and wiping my mouth
with an American-flag-styled-napkin, quietly pondering all that this holiday
means for so many.
Each year I find myself coming to the same conclusion amidst
the paradox of protest and celebration, joy and sorrow, and loss and love. I do
my best to remember the holiday for what it really is.
Memorial Day is: “a federal holiday where we remember
the people who died while serving in the country’s armed
forces.”
And this always brings my conflict into order. It’s not a
holiday to sit and bicker about war. It’s not a holiday where the backyard
grill takes center stage. It’s a holiday to remember people.
And in doing this, we are responding to Memorial Day
faithfully. We remember the sacredness of human life. Life that was given. Life
that was taken. Life that goes on.
If you are conflicted about how to feel on Memorial Day
every year like I am, it’s my hope that these words will ease some of your
conflict.
I also hope these words will allow you to give yourself some
space to know that it is okay to feel conflicted this weekend with a hamburger
in your hand and an aching in your heart.
Whatever your context, “remember to remember” people this
holiday weekend.
By doing this, we honor those who are no longer with us, and
also display an example of faith, hope, and love to those who remain.
Selah.
Follow Ryan Phipps on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ryan_phipps
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