Honor those who died for you

Memorial Day is over, but I have been thinking about the men and women who have lost their lives for the sake of others. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." We do not know everyone's motives for joining the military, law enforcement, firefighting, EMS or other dangerous professions. Nowadays, civilian medical personnel are risking their lives to fight the pandemic. I believe love is the foundation of service.

Yes, people take jobs like these to make a living. I have heard some people crassly say, "They are not heroes, they are paid to do a job." The fact remains that if these people had not given their lives for us, we would not have freedom, good health, or maybe even life. I stand with those who applaud the medical community for fighting the good fight. Many have sacrificed time with their families, self-quarantining so they can help people dealing with the coronavirus. I have read that more than two dozen of our healthcare workers have died from this disease. So, yes, they are heroes.

I am thankful for those who have given their lives for my benefit. I want to honor the American military personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice. While we always want to thank our veterans, we need to set Memorial Day aside to remember the fallen heroes. There are many circumstances that lead to the loss of life including accidents, friendly fire, as well as combat. Just putting on the uniform has put men and women at risk -- think about some of the terrorist attacks on our military bases.

I am thankful for our law enforcement community. We have some of the nation's finest leaders in our region heading each department. I grew up in St. Louis, and I was conditioned to believe that hearing sirens was a good thing. When I spent my first night as a new pastor in Karnak, Illinois, I had difficulty sleeping because it was too quiet. I kept thinking, "What if something happens? There are no police anywhere around." I realized then that it was up to me to protect myself. Still, I would much rather call the police and let them handle things while I take cover. Did you know that we lose between 100 and 200 police officers each year in America? I mourn each loss with our law enforcement community. We honor them annually on May 15.

The Bible teaches us to respect those who are given the "sword" to enforce our laws. As a matter of fact, the implication is that a person who is law abiding would have no reason to fear. Romans 13:4 says, "For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." We all want the police officers to make the right call every time. Everyone wants to go home alive. Pray for our military and our police.

Our firefighters and first responders often risk their lives for others. I think about many rescue efforts where someone must come and risk his or her life because a citizen made a poor choice or had an accident. When it comes to natural disasters, we often do not think about the risk to life and limb faced by these heroes during and after the storm. Hopefully, no one who remembers 911 would take firefighters, police officers, or first responders for granted.

There is someone else who died for you. While anyone can think of bad examples in every profession, we must remind ourselves that Jesus was the only perfect person who ever lived. God so loved the world that he sent his only son to die for us, John 3:16-18. Yes, we all need saving. I hope you know Jesus. He died for you, but he did not stay dead. He defeated death so that in him, we may have eternal life. Sacrificing oneself for the lives of others is worthy of honor.