Untitled Sermon

Good morning! It is an honor to be with you today in remembrance of Memorial Day. Thank you for the privilege of not only gathering with you, but also for the privilege to speak with you today. My name is Jarred LeBon. My family and I live in Fosston where I serve as one of the pastors at New Journey Church. However, before I went into Christian ministry, I served in the United States Army. I had the incredible honor of serving alongside fellow Americans who answered the call to serve in our nation's armed forces. I was an engineer officer, serving on active duty for seven years, which included three years of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes as a paratrooper in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC.

Though I myself did not serve in combat overseas, most of those whom I did serve with have. In fact, many of their stories still pervade my memories from when I learned about their sacrifices during my time with them. Just prior to my arrival at that unit, the paratroopers I served with had just returned from a year long deployment to the Middle East as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. These paratroopers had seen and experienced a lot on that deployment where several members of their unit were severely wounded and others were killed in action. It is the latter group, those who made the ultimate sacrifice in all of our nation’s wars, that we are here to honor and remember this day.

Memorial Day is a unique holiday in our nation. Unique in the sense that it is not so much an occasion for celebration as much as it is an annual opportunity for us to both mourn and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice––those who have given their lives for the good of others in defense of our nation. Memorial Day has its origins going as far back as our nation’s Civil War. In the waning years of that war, there was a near ubiquitous practice across the country––North and South, black and white––the practice of decorating soldiers' graves with floral arrangements to honor their sacrifice on what was known as springtime “decoration days.”

There is some debate as to when and where the first formal Memorial Day gathering was held. But, it was first formalized as a national day of remembrance on May 5, 1868 with the issuance of the Memorial Day Act, which formally declared the day a nationwide “Decoration Day” to remember those who died in the war. Despite the lack of clarity on when and where the first gathering was held prior to its official declaration, one thing remains that should capture our attention with the origins of this day––the near universal impulse of men and women everywhere to honor and commemorate the dead who gave their lives in defense of the nation.

There is, represented in this, an innate sense wired in all of us by our Creator that recognizes the significant value of human life. Such that, when life is lost, or in this way given up for the sake of others, we recognize such loss as the ultimate sacrifice. I myself am a Christian. But whether you are a Christian like me or not, we all likely recognize the LORD Jesus Christ’s words about himself in the gospel of John 15:13––“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Though Jesus was speaking about Himself and His substitutionary atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of His people, all people everywhere recognize and can agree with that statement. We recognize the giving of one’s life for the good of others as the ultimate expression of love and service that anyone could ever demonstrate.

And so, as I stated before, today is a day where we rightly commit ourselves to occasions such as this one where we have the opportunity, together, as grateful citizens of a grateful nation, to both mourn and honor those who made this ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. What does that mean? What does that look like? How do we, as grateful citizens, express these emotions––mourning and giving honor––expressing them in a way that demonstrates our solemn remembrance of their brave sacrifice? There is a lot that we could say in answer to those questions. I want to focus my suggestions on the two categories I’ve mentioned already––mourning and giving honor.

First, it is right that we mourn, in a general sense, the loss of so many through the grievous and painful act of war. It may seem a strange thing to some for me to say that we should mourn their loss in a general sense. We understand mourning and grieving specifically those whom we know and love who die. May you wonder “how can we mourn,” more generally, “the lives of millions whom we have never known?” In answer to that I would just remind us all of the dignity and value of all human life that led to the commemoration of this day. All human life is sacred. All human life has value. A value that is derived from our Creator who made us in His image. And so, the loss of any human life, whatever the reason and whether we knew them or not, is something to mourn.

More than that, there is a particular grief that comes with the way these lives were lost. War, though necessary under just causes, is a grievous reality in the world we live in. As long as there is the presence of evil in this world, there will always be the need for brave men and women to be ready and to stand up and fight against the forces of evil for the good and protection of others. We lament the presence of evil in this world that makes such sacrifice necessary for the greater good and we long for a day when such wars may cease. There is deep sorrow every time we turn on the news or read yet again in the paper of another life lost in defense of the nation. Rightly, there is a sickening feeling and pain that overcomes all of us to varying degrees when another loved one is taken from their family, often at too young an age. But it is not enough to only mourn their loss and sacrifice.

We not only mourn their loss. More positively we are to honor them and their sacrifice. We esteem and respect them. We give thanks to God for them and their sacrifice. When an occasion arises, we give thanks to the loved ones left behind for their sacrifice and we care for them in the wake of their tragic loss.

We give tribute to them in places and on occasions such as this one each and every memorial day. We go on caring for this great nation for which they died, living as good citizens for the good of our fellow citizens. We exercise the freedoms that are ours because of their sacrifice. We enjoy the good gifts given to us by our Creator and the life that He has bestowed upon us, cherishing every moment we have with our friends and loved ones.

One common thing that I see from time to time whenever this day comes upon us is the public reminder that today is about far more than vacations, lake days, and barbecues. That is absolutely right. However, I would suggest that as many of you, like myself, fire up the grill and spend meaningful time with friends and family today, you are doing so in a way that truly honors the memory of those who gave their lives.

You and I have been given more gifts in this life than we could ever say “thank you” for. Gifts given and preserved by almighty God, but also preserved humanly speaking by those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. We honor their memory by enjoying the gifts that have been given to us and living our lives to the fullest in all the time that we have left with our loved ones. Time which is afforded us by their bravery, selfless service, and sacrifice. To not enjoy the life and freedom we have would dishonor their memory and the sacrifice they made.

My encouragement to us all is this––do not waste this day. Do not forget their sacrifice. Do not forget the sacrifice of those they left behind. Where you have the opportunity, listen to and read their stories. Stories of bravery and self-sacrifice. Go and visit the memorials; go and visit the monuments that commemorate their valor; pay your respects at their graveside. Visit and grieve with their loved ones who feel the pain of their absence all the more. Grieve the ongoing existence of war and the necessity of such sacrifice that comes as a consequence and grievous reality of war.

And then, while you do all of that over the course of your life, spend meaningful time with your loved ones––your family, your friends, and your neighbors. Enjoy the gift of life and the gift of freedom because of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation. My hope and encouragement for all of us gathered here today is that we will not take for granted their ultimate sacrifice. That we will mourn their loss and honor them in their sacrifice in the way we live our lives as thankful people.

To my fellow veterans who have served and are here today, especially those of you who were able to come home, thank you for your service. To those of you who have lost loved ones; who lost friends that went away and never came back; who lost brothers and sisters in arms; from one grateful citizen to another––know that your loss does not go unnoticed, nor does it go unappreciated. We mourn the loss of those brave men and women. We honor them and their sacrifice. It is a debt that we can never fully repay, but we can go on remembering them, telling their stories, and enjoying the life and freedom we have because of them. Thank you again for having me today. May God bless you all and may God bless America.