Memorial Day
Several years ago, my wife and I were in Britain in a little village called Amersham Old Towne. While there, I preached in the local Baptist church, and we made wonderful friends. There was an old cemetery behind the church. A portion of the graves dated back hundreds of years. Land in Amersham Old Towne is not available at any price. Thus, when the cemetery was full, they began the practice of removing the remains of the “oldest dead” to make room for the “newly dead.”
We asked, “Does that upset the family of the person whose remains you remove?”
“Oh, no,” they replied. “We put their names on a plaque in the church.” They took me inside to see the plaques. “This way, the departed are remembered regularly,” they explained, “not just when you visit the cemetery.”
“They are remembered regularly.” It is an excellent concept. That is what our Memorial Day is all about. At least once a year, we try to remember those who have gone on before us. At first, these memories make us sad. It is common for tears to be shed around graves. Then, as time passes, the acute sadness turns to thankful memories, lessons taught and learned, and experiences good and bad that helped to make us who we are.
Memories are one of God’s good gifts to us. We can no longer say thank you to those who have gone on before us. However, we can still remember and give thanks to God for how they blessed our lives. We all know this is true, but we get so busy we forget. That is why days like Memorial Day are needed to cause us to remember.
The Bible puts it this way, “The memory of the just is blessed.” (Proverbs 10:7)
