The Power Of Remembering

Two flags- two tales of sacrifice and love. Remember these on Memorial Day tomorrow and for that matter, every day, because remembering is a source of great power. Kierkegaard noted that “the more a man remembers, the more divine he becomes,” and this makes since to me because, in remembering, we touch wisdom and courage, vision and grace, that is greater than we have, or even the sum of the people we know have. There is greatness and strength in connecting to our collective and individual memories, which is one of the reasons that I am a big genealogy and history buff. It was no less a man than Lincoln who said, “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all of my life.” Isn’t it the truth? Aren’t our mothers’ prayers every bit as important to our direction in life- the roads we take and the things we stand for- as any book or study we may have in our hands? One of our forefathers noted that “America will cease to be great if she ceases to be good,” and that thought also makes a lot of sense to me because we can’t really leave our mark unless we remember who and whose we are. I don’t know much about Kate Perry, other than that she’s famous, but I did like this. When someone asked her about the tattoo she has on her wrist, she said, “I got this tattoo of Jesus put on my wrist when I was 18 so that it would always be part of me. Now, when I’m performing on stage, it stares right back at me, saying, “Remember where you came from.” I like that.

I can’t think of much that I dislike more than tattoos, but I do know that we are easy prey if we forget who and whose we are and what we stand for. Knowing who we are is a wonderful gift and I hope that you will take time this weekend to thank those people in your life who have made you who you are today. Take a moment and list those who have encouraged you, taught you, maybe challenged you, and who have set you on the path you trod today. Who introduced you to Christ? Who led you to church? Who loved you with no strings attached? When you were up, whose hands were applauding you, and when you were down, whose hands were reaching for you? Who took the time to hear you when you needed to be heard, and who has walked with you when the terrain has gotten steep? If the people on your list have passed on, visit their graves, and if they are still alive, tell them how much you appreciate them. Tell them that they have given you moments that will live within you as long as you live.

Remembering is a great source of power, and God has called us to “remember” from the beginning to the end of Scripture. When He liberated his people from slavery, He said, “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you” (Ex. 12.14) and as they began to consecrate their first-born to God, Moses said to the people, (Ex. 13.3), “Remember this day on which you came out of the house of slavery.” To the extent that they remembered the Lord’s steadfast love and saving acts, the Israelites had a much better chance of staying faithful, and it is the same for us as we gather here this morning. Whenever he grew weary, Martin Luther would repeat over and over again, “Baptimatus sum. I am baptized,” and in saying these words, he tapped into the source of his strength. On the road to Emmaus (Lk 24.27), Jesus challenged Cleopas and his friend to remember the words of Scripture concerning him, and (Lk 24.6) when Mary stood at the empty tomb sobbing, the angel urged her to remember what Jesus had said about rising on the 3rd day. Moreover, the Lord’s Supper itself is, in many ways, a sacrament of remembrance. Indeed, Billy Graham once said, “I’m going to heaven just like the thief on the cross, with the words, ‘Lord, remember me,’ on my lips.” For Christians, every Sunday is Memorial Day. Every Sunday is an opportunity for us to celebrate all that God has done for us. Every Sunday invites us to put our own interests aside and to gather to praise God for his love, which was most powerfully shown on Calvary’s Hill. Amen.