*first posted on "Garbage Truck"
November, 2001
...the memory of the just is
blessed.--Proverbs 10:7
Two great national days of recognition are held in
November. Both are far too neglected. Both are passed over in lieu of
the earlier and earlier arrival of Christmas. Both Veterans Day and
Thanksgiving Day are holidays of character, for they both must be
observed on purpose, and their existence is dependent on true Christian
charity and acts from a pure and noble heart. Perhaps that is why they
get so little attention in comparison to Christmas and even Easter.
Every year, our church hosts an evening service and
dinner in recognition for any veterans in our congregation and any
guests who come to visit us. It is always held on November 11 no matter
the day of the week and usually attracts a good number of our honoured
military personnel. Every year the veterans are profoundly grateful and
every year a few of them come to Christ. And every year many leave
scratching their heads as to why other churches do not have similar
activities.
This year it was a little better, as the United
Methodists and Lutherans in our town are having a special service we
suppose because of the ill effects of September 11. I predict things
will be back to sad normal by next year.
Here is the garbage of it all...Americans do not seem
to care about their heritage. If we did we wouldn't forsake our Veterans
Day parades and ignore countless heroes of the 20th century as they rot
in nursing homes and broken down VA hospitals. If we did care, we
wouldn't stand back and watch drunken whoremongering entertainers
rewrite the stories of the founders of our nation without protest.
Just as pertinent, if we did care about our Christian
heritage we wouldn't remain silent while webmasters and so-called
historians assassinate the character of men like Roger Williams, Isaac
Backus, et.al., [see Marsall and Manuel's The Light and the Glory]
and lump Bible believing Baptists with Nazis and "Jackboots".
[see this link
if you think I am kidding.]
I am glad for those that care--someone has to...lest the
memory of just will no longer be....existent.
James Beller