Sermon: Veterans Day Message - A Call To Remember

Sermon: A Call To Remember

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 137:1-6 “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.”

Introduction: Each year, we celebrate a time of remembering and honoring our veterans. Veterans Day is a federal holiday on November 11 to honor all who have served in the U.S. military, both living and deceased, during times of peace and war. It was originally Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, but the name was changed in 1954 to include all veterans. The day is a time to thank living veterans for their service, acknowledge their sacrifices, and celebrate patriotism.

The words of our text are the words of a nation of people who have been vanquished by the armies of the Babylonian empire. Their beloved and holy city Jerusalem has been sacked and set aflame. The beautiful temple that was built by King Solomon has been desecrated and left in ruins. And the once proud nation of Israel has been placed in chains and marched away as slaves into a strange and foreign land. The very people who were known throughout the world for their beautiful temple, sacred rituals, songs of worship to the God, Jehovah, have been reduced to listening to the taunts and ridicules of their captors. The Babylonians had listened carefully to Israel’s songs of praise as they studied their enemy. They heard them as they sang one of the psalms of David. They listened as the Israelites sang: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

The Babylonians remembered Israel’s rich history and in celebration of their great victory over Israel, they mocked the people of God with a cruel request. “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” And the people of God replied with a question; a question that I believe was directed more to themselves than to their captors: “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?” Babylon was indeed a strange land! To experience harsh treatment in captivity should have been expected. Yet right here in America, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, it has become a strange land.

We know that trouble comes to all in this world, but when we find ourselves stuck and bound, it’s strange! It is a strange land when hard fought for civil rights legislation is being reversed. It is a strange land when we discover the unjust laws and law enforcement officers where we expect fairness. It is a strange land when we discover attending school may be hazardous to your health. It is a strange land when we discover a Sunday drive can turn into a nightmare of road rage. It is a strange land when victims of Hurricanes wonder why help never came. It is a strange land when victims of Hurricanes find themselves still living in hotels waiting for their homes to be restored. The funds were approved and awarded but never materialized. It is a strange land.

On top of all that, sickness may come, loved ones may die unexpectedly. It is a strange land when sorrow comes in the middle of the joys of life. It is a strange land when in the land of the free and the home of the brave, many are faced with bondage and fear. We expect honesty and fairness, but are met with injustice, It’s a strange land. It is a strange land where sorrow comes in the prime of life. When young people choose suicide over life in the richest nation on earth. It is a strange land when you try to whole on to joy and one another while your hearts are filled with grief. Yet be assured that God will not abandon us because we are in a strange land.