Memorial Day

For the Veterans

We will remember them,
Even though the years of peace
Have swiftly gone and lately passed
And men of war can't rest at last;
We, who are free,
Will not forget how once they chose
To fight and die on distant shores
For love of us and liberty.

We will remember Him,
Even though the years of grace
Have distanced each succeeding race
And men of God seem out of place;
We, with our faith,
Will not forget how once He chose
To go and die upon a cross
For love of us and liberty.

He will remember us,
Even though the years of life
Fly swiftly past before our eyes
And man is dust beneath the skies;
He, with His power,
Will not forget all those who choose
To follow Him and never lose
Their love of God or Liberty.

Real Reconciliators

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. (NIV)

I used to hate a guy called Graeme who lived about 500 yards from my home. I don’t what started the rivalry, but his house was in a different street, so that automatically put him in the category of “enemy.” We used to shout and call names at each other, throw stones in the summer, and snowballs in the winter. It went on for years and to this day, I can’t remember what caused such hatred.

I do, however, remember what stopped it. We grew weary of fighting one another and decided to become friends. Instead of shouting at him, I asked Graeme if he collected postage stamps. To my surprise, he did and we arranged to meet after school to swap our doublers – stamps that we had more than one of. From that moment on, we became the best of friends and were constantly in each other’s company throughout our teenage years. We had discovered similar interests and given up on our fighting. We had buried the hatchet and reconciled our differences.

I guess that’s what God does when He sends Jesus into the world. He takes on our similarities and gives up on our enmity. God gives us a wonderful opportunity to be reconciled to Him and restored to His Kingdom. Without Jesus, we would be at war with God forever. Without Christ, we would have no hope of returning to God’s love.

This is why it’s important that we as Christians become ambassadors of God’s peace. Sadly, that’s hard to do in a world which is bent on war. However, if we want hatred to end and enmity to cease, then we have to become agents of reconciliation and servants of goodwill. Without Christ, our world will be at war forever. Without Jesus, the earth will have no hope of experiencing love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, some people say that the hope of peace is mere pie in the sky and cannot ever be accomplished. Sometimes we fail miserably at keeping peace with one another, and Your church seems to be in the midst of all the fighting that’s going on. Remind us that our faith is not meant for fighting, but for reconciling. Help us to remember that You call us to be ambassadors of God’s unity, and not agents of the devil’s divisions. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Ante Up

Micah 4:3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

I’ve a confession to make: I like to play poker. It’s a card game that I’ve always enjoyed because it’s not about playing the cards that you’re dealt – it’s about pitting your wits against your opponents. Most people play to their own pattern – betting high when they’re on to a sure thing, or betting low when they’re waiting for the turn of a card. Every now and then, someone bluffs and breaks the pattern. This is what makes the game so fascinating to me – it’s all about the people around the table, not the cards that are in your hands.

It probably seems strange to be writing a daily devotional and talking about poker, but this week there’s seems to be an international poker game that’s going on, which could end up being disastrous if it doesn’t achieve a win. I’m talking about the President’s decision to augment the number of troops in Iraq. He’s wagering everything on the strategy of escalating the effectiveness of troops on the ground by upping the numbers of those being sent to the Middle East. The trouble is this: our opponents in the war could up their ante and kill more of our troops. Sadly, I saw the same thing happen in Northern Ireland decades ago. Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t happen.

Micah’s word for today is not about poker or politics, it’s about peace. He utters a prophecy that one day people will give up their weapons and study war no more. I wish that prophecy could be fulfilled right now, but instead I’ll probably have to wait until Christ returns as the Prince of Peace before the world gives up it’s warring madness and wicked ways.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, times like these trouble our hearts and worry our minds. We wonder each day where all of this conflict will end. Challenge our ideals and lead us to peace. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully pray. Amen.