Tag Archives: war

e v a n e s c e n t

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The new year, 2024, has dawned, and has prompted me to think about 2023 and what lies ahead. No resolutions or singing Old Lang Syne with drunken friends. Nor did I watch the big ball drop at the stroke of midnight in Times Square or shoot off fireworks. Boring, I know, but January 1st is just another day, no more profound than any other day, but no less profound, either. For some, 2023 was a banner year, and for far too many it was the opposite. Based on various polling, it appears that many of us look to the future with a bit of trepidation as uncertainty looms in every sphere of our personal and collective lives. Fear, mistrust, disunity, anger and hostility in what were once peaceful places has replaced feelings of security and optimism.

However, I believe we know intuitively that physiologically abandoning ship is not a good option. We cannot lose hope for a better tomorrow. At the same time, I believe it is imperative that we understand our earthly lives are transient. As the Apostle James stated, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.” A realistic perspective is vital in moving forward during the coming year; not a doomsday outlook, but an honest one.

Evanescent is an apt word to describe our world and our existence. The literary definition means “something that will soon be passing out of sight, memory, or existence: quickly fading or disappearing: a shimmering evanescent bubble”. The physics’ definition denotes “a field or wave that extends into a region where it cannot propagate and whose amplitude therefore decreases with distance”.

There is nothing particularly special about these photographs, except for how they tie into the definition as stated above. Most everyone has seen clouds pass-by overhead. Eventually, they will dissipate into atmosphere, seen no more. Ocean waves, even Tsunami size waves, eventually dissipate and recede to the body of water they came from with their energy depleted…placidness.

For every sunset there is a sunrise. For every cry there is a laugh. For every valley there is a peak. For every desert there is an oasis. For every tragedy there is miracle. For every broken heart there is a healing salve. And, for every death there is new life. I could expound further, but that’s not necessary. What is imperative, at least in my mind, is that I have come to understand the brevity of life as well as the daily opportunity to experience it sublimely.

I readily acknowledge that I am not living in a war zone nor in extreme poverty nor under oppression. So, many may say that what I have espoused thus far is pollyannish thinking, and I understand this reaction. I also acknowledge that I don’t know how I would react while experiencing such horrific conditions. Like all of you, I have had my share of trials and triumphs this past year, although the trials did seem to be more abundant. But this is a very biased comment. Truth be told, I am blessed in so many ways that I don’t deserve.

Hopelessness is like a cancer as it slowly destroys our souls, dimming our inner light and leaving us bitter and empty. The world is a mess. To say otherwise would be in denial of the obvious. And we can do little to change it in the grand scheme of things. Not what we want to hear, but I believe this is the truth. There is good news, though. I came across this quote yesterday which was made by an anonymous French priest, “God doesn’t ask you to change the world. He asks you to do something much more difficult-to change yourself”. We can attend seminars, devore self-help books, join social media groups, make new year resolutions, etc., but to what avail? I believe the only way for self-change to stick, to be truly successful, is to seek help from the One who knows us most intimately. And, if we allow God to assist us in changing for the better, our world will be affected positively.

Happy New Year !

Remember

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This is a bronze sculpture of an American soldier paying tribute to his fallen comrades after the Korean War which was waged from 1950 to 1953. It is often referred to as the Forgotten War because of the great conflict of WWII preceding it.  However, it was a bloody and difficult war resulting in an armistice rather than a mutual declaration to name the conflict as over. A demilitarized zone (DMZ) was created separating the north and the south from one another. It is the most heavily armed area in the world. As most know, this has been in the news of late as North and South Korea are attempting to put an official end to this debacle.

As with all wars, many civilians lost their lives in addition to the soldiers who sacrificed much. It saddens me that so many paid the ultimate price for a stalemate. At the same time, I am grateful for those who fought and sacrificed in behalf of freedom for half of the peninsula of Korea. Perhaps someday the north and south will unite as did Vietnam. The North is devoid of democracy and justice and the people live in a state of misery, ignorance and subjugation. My heart goes out to these citizens.

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America is not a nation of innocence when it comes to military conflicts and of war. Blood is on our hands. I wish we were free from self-serving bloodshed such as what we caused upon our own Native Americans, African slaves and one another during our great Civil War. But, we have also sacrificed much to the betterment of all mankind by defending and promoting freedom whenever the call to arms was issued. Not all agree with each conflict. I certainly don’t, however, I support those whom answered the call to do what they think is right and for the furthering of democracy.

Man, regardless of nationality, is a self-serving being. I stand amazed at how some European nations remained neutral during the Nazi terror of WWII. In the Pacific theater of war all became enemies of a misguided empirical nation. I am grateful that my father and uncle, along with so many other young men and women from various countries gave themselves for this cause of freedom. Freedom for others and not always for their own peoples.

There is still much of the world in armed conflict. America’s best are still fighting and dying for freedom for others. Various nations are in extreme struggles just to keep their nation’s alive and safe. May we never forget those who sacrificed so much and are still doing so today. I encourage all to honor a vet or family member this weekend whether  he or she is abroad or on the home front. They are most deserving.  I am reminded that their sacrifices allow me to write this post and bask in freedom’s light.

 

A Time for Everything

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The folk-rock group of the mid 1960s to the early 70s, the Byrds, came out with a stream of hit tunes. Probably, the most famous being, Turn, Turn, Turn from 1967. This song was a reflection of the times when protests over the Vietnam War were rampant across our country. The melody and vocals of this hit song are unforgettable once you start to hum it, and the words cemented this song in rock & roll history.

Taken from a book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes (Greek for Preacher or Teacher), the words and wisdom of King Solomon force us to examine time and events, and their effect upon man. Although not written verbatim, but pretty close, the only major change comes in the last stanza where the lyricist replaces, “…a time for war, and a time for peace…” with ” a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late”.

The verse which best fits this time of year, the changing of seasons from Summer to Fall, is actually found in all of the verses because the dynamic revealed in each stanza is occurring somewhere in the world at this very moment. The cast iron planter above reflects several of the symbols found in the words of  this section of scripture and song. Autumn can be so beautiful and the earth so generous. Thanks be to God !

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 

a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Let Freedom Ring

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“My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring”.Old Glory

Samuel Francis Smith wrote the lyrics to this song in 1831. It later became known as America and was one of several national anthems for a short while. The melody came from Thomas Arne of England where the tune was created for the queen. In 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famously inspired speech, I Have A Dream, wherein he reminded us to let freedom ring amidst a backdrop of racial inequality and segregation. Dr. King eventually paid the ultimate price for the freedom he dreamed about. So have many others.

There is a saying that goes like this, ” Freedom is a luxury not everyone can afford “. In America we state our freedoms as rights and not privileges of the few. How blessed we are to enjoy such liberties. We are free to worship, vote, protest, write whatever we want, say whatever we want, and pretty much do whatever we want (within reason and the context of the law). We are free to think, to achieve, and simply to be.

Thomas Campbell reminds us of the cost of liberty when he wrote, ” The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree “. Since the birth of our nation to the present, Americans have shed their blood for freedom’s sake…for you and for me. Whether you hop in your car on a whim and drive across the great expanse to see the waves crash against the shoreline or sit in a lawn chair sipping a glass of iced tea after you just mowed the grass of your own lawn-these are fruits of freedom we seldom consider as such. But they are fruits of the most precious kind because they involve a personal sense of well-being that oppression can never provide. We enjoy what others have fought for.7-3-14 038

So, as we celebrate this Fourth of July, our Independence Day, let us pause and consider the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our benefit. Generations past, present and future are all recipients of other’s heroic deeds. Whether on the home front or the front lines, sacrifices have been, and are being made. We can all do little things to express our gratitude for the defenders of our liberties: hug a vet, shake the hand of a soldier, assist those left behind, encourage the distressed.

Inscribed on the Liberty Bell is a quote from the Bible, Leviticus 25:10, which states,  Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof . May we be so bold to proclaim and defend our freedoms, for future generations are depending on us to do so until they can take up the mantel. Sometimes this means going to war. It also means to fight for our constitutional rights which are periodically attacked from forces within. One thing is certain; anyone who has been deprived of personal freedoms cherishes them. They will fight to keep them, and not simply for themselves, but for the sake of their neighbors, as well. Defenders of freedom aren’t selfish.

Let freedom ring loud and clear…I like the sound of that. It reminds me of WW II movies when towns were liberated from a sinister enemy and the church bells would ring and ring in celebration of regaining lost freedom. I thank God for living in a country where freedoms abound. If you do not know such liberty, may you find freedom from above where no enemy can steal your soul even though you may not be allowed to speak your heart. Let freedom ring!