From The Mayor Vets' Day 01

Lord, this Sunday is Veteran’s Day and we’re at war. It isn’t a war we asked for, nor is it a war that will soon be over. It isn’t a war that will have a definite end, nor is it a war with a single, identifiable country. It isn’t a war that will be sterile and painless, nor will innocent life be untouched. It’s war, Lord, and as You know, war is dirty, painful, and wasteful.

We know that You don’t like war; You told us enough times that it’s wrong to kill. Your Son’s life was totally about love for one another. Indeed, Your greatest gift was that Your Son willingly laid down His life for us. So why then, knowing that You hate war and killing, are we at war? And why then do we set aside this day to honor our men and women who are fighting this war and those who have fought all of our wars?

Lord, we have no other choice. You allowed all of Your children to have free will, and that enables some of those children to make the wrong choice. Two months ago, on a peaceful sunny day, our blue skies were blackened by the smoke that some of Your children ignited. They came to our land choosing hatred over love; death over life; and terror over peace. Their choices and actions caused over 5,000 of some of Your other children to die. Their choices caused thousands of men and women to lose forever the touch and laughter of their wives and husbands. Their choices caused thousands of children to lose forever the love and wisdom of a parent. We as a nation lost forever the courage and selflessness of soldiers, police, and firemen. And Lord, we lost our freedom to choose peace over war. The evil ones thrust their choice of war upon us.

That’s why we celebrate Veteran’s Day. It’s our way of honoring Your children who have made the choice to overcome evil with good. None of the men and women we are honoring fought a war to conquer and enslave any of Your children. They never chose war as a first option; it was always thrust upon them as evil threatened to overpower good. Even today, as we struggle against this latest evil we are feeding our enemy’s children. We don’t hate and purposefully kill innocent people; the evil ones do. We don’t corrupt our religion into one of hatred; the evil ones do. We don’t force violence, war, and terror on innocent children; the evil ones do. We choose life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And we honor those who have fought and are fighting to allow us to make those choices.

Lord, watch over and protect Your children who are fighting evil. Cover them with Your peace that passes all understanding as they serve in harm’s way. Bless our friends in other countries who fight alongside us. Watch over and protect the innocent men, women, and children who live amongst the evil ones. Help us to break the cycle of hatred and death that caused this war to be thrust upon us. Enable us to show our Veterans from previous wars how much we value their sacrifices. Bring comfort into the lives of our sorrowing and suffering victim’s families. Bless our police and firefighters. Wrap them in the warmth of Your love as they search for the broken bodies of their comrades.

Lastly Lord, help us overcome this evil that threatens Your peace-loving children everywhere. Make our bombs and missiles strike the right targets. Make our bullets fly straight and true. Give us the stamina to fight to the end. Let us send the evil ones into the hell You as a loving Father reserved for those who terrorize the innocent. Allow us to live in peace once again. Lord, bless America.

Last modified: September 18, 2008

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