Prayer for Memorial Day
Lionel E. Deimel
Dear God, on this day
we dedicate to the memory of those who died in defense of our country
and its declared ideals, let us not forget the many whose death resulted
from dreams of empire, hubris, or adventurism. Help us to comprehend and
repent of errors that have needlessly cost lives, and give us the wisdom
and humility to act, as a nation, with love and compassion, informed by
the teachings of the Prince of Peace, in whose name we pray. Amen.
This prayer was written on Memorial Day 2017 (May 29, 2017). It was
inspired by a prayer posted on Facebook that spoke of warriors who died
fighting for freedom and peace. I thought that, although many Americans
died for such ideals, many others died in wars that, in retrospect, are
rather embarrassing. (I’ll let readers fill in their own list of
ill-conceived wars and battles.)
My prayer is surely not the ideal standalone
Memorial Day prayer. In fact, I would like to think that most Americans
who died in the service in their country did indeed sacrifice their
lives for freedom and peace. We should repent, however, for the lives
lost for causes that were less admirable.
— Lionel Deimel,
6/1/2017 |
