By Steven Norris
I was eighteen when I first saw the iconic black wedge cut into the hillside — a constant reminder to a city that is always in danger of forgetting. On one end, the Vietnam Memorial points a finger towards the obelisk in honor of that great general who helped establish our country. On the other, it points a finger towards another great man, stately in his chair as he bears the weight of a Civil War upon his shoulders.
I do not know many of the 58, 256 names that are listed there, though I do know quite a few of the 2.7 million that served. Yet, as I stood there resetting a toppled U.S. flag among cards propped along the black granite, I could see the faces of grieving family members, and I found tears welling up in my eyes.
Sixteen years later, I returned to the wall — this time with my wife and two sons accompanying me. The experience impacted me differently this time, largely due to a photograph that I took of my son’s reflection in the mirror-like surface of the wall. There, on the face of a memorial to lives lost was a life barely beginning. In that moment, my son seemed to be a “living memorial” representing the hopes of those who had given their lives in sacrifice.
As we approach Memorial Day this weekend, what if we chose to live our lives as “living memorials” to the ideals of hope, forgiveness, justice, freedom, sacrifice, servanthood, peace, and love? What if we chose to live in such a way that every time someone looked at us, they were reminded, not of death, but of life?
I would suggest that we choose to be intentional in our remembrance this Monday. Let us look for a place to serve someone who is going through more difficult circumstances than we currently are. Let us visit someone who is sick or confined to their home. We might choose to serve in a local outreach ministry or take advantage of those retail sales to buy supplies for the local food pantry or community ministry.
We might choose the difficult path of reconciling with someone with whom we have had a disagreement, choosing forgiveness over grudges. We could choose to really sit down over lunch or coffee to listen to the perspective of someone who shares different convictions about the direction of our country. We could choose civility over hostility. We might learn about legislation currently being considered and find ways to be a voice for those marginalized and most vulnerable.
The biblical letter of 1 Peter describes people of faith as “living stones” being built by God’s Spirit into a temple (memorial) for God’s glory. As such, our lives are intended to point beyond ourselves to the God who created us and sustains us day-by-day. Likewise, may all citizens of this country be a living memorial that points to life and honors those who have given themselves in service to something greater.