The summer in America is book ended by two holidays that look and act identical and yet the names are not alike; Memorial Day and Labor Day. "Memorial: created or done to honor a person who has died or to remind people of an event in which many people died." (Merriam-Webster). We in America have much to celebrate and have many holidays throughout the year to that end.
However, Memorial Day is about death, it should be a solemn day of reflection; not a day of drinking, feasting, and picnics outdoors. "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart." (Ecc 7:2 [NASB]). The word of God tells us that it is actually better to mourn than to feast, yet in America a day that was given to mourn has become a day of feasting.
Why is that? Americans pretend that death does not exist. The sick and dying in America are put away were others cannot and do not see them. The only times Americans are confronted with death and dying is when it happens to a family member, even when death happens to a love one of a friend, Americans are sheltered from it, they only hear of its happening. Prior to their death the person was sheltered away, so they did not even seem to be a real person. The only people that deal with death and the dying in America regularly are the doctors and nurses that either work with the critically ill or in hospice, there are others who see death occasionally but not regularly. Americans truly do see death as an abnormality or abstract, something that is not suppose to occur. Whenever death enviably occurs in America most see it as a fault of healthcare. Either healthcare did something wrong or did not have the knowledge to fix what is wrong. Death is the end of every man, and the living should take it to heart. Take the time today to reflect on that. In memory of my uncle Russell who died in combat on 7/2/1966 in Vietnam.
Name:RUSSELL J PEEK
Date of Birth: 11/3/1947
Date of Casualty: 7/2/1966
Home of Record: PENSACOLA
County of Record: ESCAMBIA COUNTY
State: FL
Branch of Service: ARMY
Rank: PFC
Panel/Row: 8E, 121; his spot on the Vietnam memorial.
Jesus the Christ, the Son of God died for our sins according to the scriptures, and He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures; presenting Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to His disciples over a period of 40 days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. You have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. These things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
A slave of Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
