We Remember

This weekend we took the kids to our nation’s capital for a little getaway. As we walked the National Mall, we came upon the Vietnam War Memorial. We tried to explain to the children as best as we could who the names were, why there were so many, and encouraged them to be quiet and respectful as we walked along the monument. At one point, I looked back at my six-year-old, and quiet tears were streaming down her face. As I reached for her hand I thought about how, if generations later, despite no direct relationships or exposure, a 6-year old could absorb the sadness and pain from that war? I can’t imagine what it is like for those who remember and mourn a loved one who served. It’s in remembering those who marched into the deepest darkness that we are pointed to the greatest gift God gives us in our human potential – the grace to be people who “live with and for others,” to sacrifice for those we do not know, to give everything for the greater good.