Towards the end of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, God addresses the returning exiles that have incurred unthinkable losses in a foreign land. He promises those who are anxious to begin a new life in Israel that upon their return He will give them “a monument and a name,” in Hebrew, a “yad vashem” (Isaiah 56:5). In Jerusalem, following World War II and the atrocities of the Holocaust, the Nation of Israel built a museum so that what had taken place would never be forgotten. They named the museum Yad Vashem. Memorials, memories and monuments are not merely sentimental. They are instrumental for healing, hope and new life.
On May 5, 1868, in the wake of the Civil War and the devastating loss of over 500,000 American lives, a day of remembrance was observed to recognize the brave Union and Confederate soldiers who gave everything on the battlefield. Following World War I, this tradition was changed to honor those Americans who died fighting not only in the Civil War but especially those who died on foreign soil protecting the freedom we so often take for granted. In 1971, Memorial Day was established as a national holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May.
Across the United States there are monuments and there are names that commemorate the brave men and women who gave everything to defend the way of life we share. This Memorial Day, May 25, we thank God for them and pray that they will rest in His eternal peace.
