More than a Memory

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” -John 11:26-26 New International Version

My mom is trying to pass on the family pictures to us children. Digging through the pile I came

across an old photo of the Memorial Day procession to the cemetery in my dad’s hometown.

It’s a grainy photo but it appears to be from perhaps the 1930s. It’s hard to tell, and since that

town has had a long-standing tradition of Memorial Day parades and speeches, it really could

be from just about any decade.

Many years my uncle would march with his rifle, and then these old vets would fire off a three-

shot volley to honor the dead. These actions were repeated in cemeteries across the country.

Perhaps you were a part of such traditions. Or perhaps you were part of another Memorial day

tradition – putting flowers on the graves. Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, a day to

decorate the graves of the Civil War dead with flowers. My mother’s family always has flowers

placed on the family graves for Memorial Day.

How fitting that we remember those who have died. But even better to remember that

through the work of Jesus, our loved ones can live on. Jesus promised “The one who believes in

me will live, even though they die.”

So come Memorial Day remember those who are gone with parades and rifles and flowers, but

remember also they are not really gone. We are just separated for a while. Through Christ we

shall meet again.

Pastor Mark