Memorial Day

MON., MAY 30, 1994,7:20 AM
FARM, STUDY

This is a holiday in your land, a day to remember those who died fighting in wars that presumably saved your country from some disaster. It is a nice time of year for a holiday, but if showers continue the ideal may be tarnished. But the picnic in the park may still be a joyous event.

But hear My reflections on some of your wars and what might be remembered. As the story goes this holiday originated in Carbondale, the town of your employment. The Civil War had been a bloody one, with the North winning, preserving the union of all the states. Thus, participants on both sides were Americans, and so the combined death toll was all American. Medical techniques were primitive by today’s standards, so many who would have survived from wounds in later wars died. It was fitting to establish a Memorial Day for all of those who died, either maintaining the union or trying to maintain a different culture and way of life as a separate nation.

I am not a proponent of slavery, but you are aware that there was slavery in Biblical times, and I, as Almighty God and as Jesus, did not proclaim against it. I have told you often that I do not favor one economic or political system. From My perspective, basically, I look for each human to live earth life as it is her or his to live, growing spiritually in the process. This certainly can happen when one is a slave, even as I do not favor such a social arrangement.

Then came what you call World War I, that war fought in Europe to make the world safe for democracy. Slavery for human labor had been largely replaced by machines, though there was still economic slavery in some of the manufacturing plants, which continues today, in other countries. Some casualties of the war were American, but there was no damage to your land, industries, or homes. Democracy prevailed and when Johnny came marching home he was a hero… and the dead had perished for a good cause.

But dictatorships arose again in Europe, and Japan desired to exert its influence over more of Asia. And so they attacked Pearl Harbor, and your country was fighting Germany and Italy in one direction and Japan in another. Freedom from tyranny was the goal, and so there were great historic and courageous moments in both arenas. There has been a remembrance this past week of D-Day, now 50 years past, and the retaking of Europe from the Germans. Hitler and Mussolini died, and others responsible for atrocities were punished. It was a great victory for freedom and democracy, and you even had a small, non-combative role in that conflict. The victory came before you had a chance to give your life for the cause. As you know, you benefitted greatly from that war… and you have been appreciative.

The Korean “police-action” and the Vietnam war followed, this time without victories. You can remember the dead from these actions without the sense that their deaths accomplished good. They fought and died, and the opponents prevailed, solely in Vietnam.

Spiritual growth can surely come from being a participant in a war. Many of those who survive when death was a real possibility do grow from these experiences, while a few find this earth life too hard because of the war. It has been hard for your culture to feel pride in the deaths of Americans in these last two conflicts, or of other smaller, shorter skirmishes in which you have participated.

In all of these conflicts most of the death have been young men, since your culture has not approved of women in combat. In future wars the majority of casualties will be male, but with an increase in women whose lives are taken early.