Today (Memorial Day) we are invited to take time to remember and honor those who have lost their lives in service to our country. At Deep River Friends, our White Ribbon campaign has been our simple way of expressing honor. Each of the white ribbons in our front yard represent a life that has been lost in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also serve as a reminder to us that our deepest longing and prayer is for peace. They remind us that those who have lost their lives are not numbers or statistics but real people with real families, loved ones, and hometowns. In many ways, their lives have been cut short and our world has lost forever their potential and contribution in many ways. We do honor their sacrifice and their willingness to serve our country in this way. We also can best honor their effort by our continued work for peace. As we continue to pray for peace and work for peace we envision a day in which war will be no more and we will not have to train for war. This is not a political statement. It is a statement that the prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus himself uttered many times. God's dream for all of creation is for there to be shalom - wholeness in our lives so that our lives may flourish and all of creation can flourish. As we strive for peace and as we wage peace daily, we get closer and closer to God's dream for all of creation. Let us honor those who have fallen but let us honor them by recommiting ourselves to work for peace.
One of the ways Deep River Friends has sought to be proactive in working for peace is joining an organization called "Every Church a Peace Church" (www.ecapc.org). We have joined the national registry of churches committed to living for peace and seeking peace in our lives and in our world. Take a few moments and visit the website and see how God might be leading you to engage in acts of peace.
I also want to take a few moments and honor another individual - David Chou. On Saturday, David passed away due to complications from a perforated bowel. David and his wife Mary Ann came to Deep River Friends about five years ago. I would like to say we found them but they found us - and have blessed us ever since with their presence, gracious spirit, and hospitality. David was a very quiet person but his spirit was larger than life and he always had a kind word and a gracious word to say about everyone and anyone. Even though David could not make it to meeting for worship that much we will miss him. Our prayers go out to Mary Ann and the family as they prepare for David's Memorial service on Tuesday, June 1st.
Maybe on this Memorial Day there are many we can honor...but there are also those that have touched our lives in significant ways and we can offer a simply prayer of thanks for their presence in our life.
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