On Freedom and Remembrance

This past week, our nation has once again been reminded that freedom is never free.

In the midst of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, brave American men and women have stepped forward, standing watch, answering the call, and carrying the weight of our nation's defense. Some have been wounded. Some have given their lives.

As a bishop, and as an American, I call us to remember.

We remember those who have fallen in service to this country, men and women who wore the uniform with honor, who stood in the gap for the sake of liberty, and who gave what President Lincoln once called "the last full measure of devotion."

We remember that behind every uniform is a story, a family, a hometown, a future offered freely for something greater than self.

And we remember the words so many of us know:

"I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above, Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love…"

For some, that vow has been lived out to its fullest end.

We honor those who continue to serve, even now, in uncertain and dangerous conditions. Their courage is not theoretical. It is lived, daily, in sacrifice and resolve.

And we pray.

We pray for the souls of the fallen, that they may rest in eternal peace. We pray for the wounded, that they may be restored in body and spirit. We pray for those deployed, that they may be protected and strengthened. And we pray for our nation, that we would be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.

"There's another country, I've heard of long ago… And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace."

Even as we honor earthly duty, we hold fast to the greater Kingdom, the one for which every sacrifice finds its ultimate meaning.

To those who serve: we stand with you. To those who have fallen: we honor you. To their families: we carry your sacrifice with reverence.

May God bless those who defend our freedom. And may God bless the United States of America.

+Brent