Why We Remember on Memorial Day

Lather on the SPF 35 and throw some ribs on the grill, summertime is here. The Memorial Day holiday marks the beginning of the season of flip flops and homemade strawberry ice cream. Many folks will take advantage of the long weekend to soak in some sun. In the midst of our BBQ’s, parades, and family festivities lets not also forget that it is a day of remembrance.

Memorial Day has its roots in the commemoration of Union Soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War. It has since expanded to a day of tribute to the dead soldiers of all the nation’s wars. It is a holiday of remembrance.

What good is remembering? What good does it do to set aside a day once a year where we show reverence to the men and women who have sacrificed lives for our freedom? Does it make us better citizens? Politicians use the occasion to give partisan speeches. Entertainment industry takes advantage of the long weekend to host concerts. Dog-owners take advantage of parade crowds to showoff their patriotic pooch.

There are two types of remembering. The first type of remembering has to do with recollection. It is called nostalgia. It belongs to the folks who say we need to go back to “the good old days.” This type of remembering is based on emotions. Our emotions govern what we remember and we get stuck in the past. It forces us into denial. Instead of moving forward in life, we want to retreat. Instead of claiming our future, we want to manipulate it. Instead of trusting in the mystery of life, we feel robbed. I got a few relatives who have no problem participating in this type of remembering.

The second type of remembering is active. It is making present the memory of the past. The memory of yesterday gives us hope and direction for the future because they tell us something about ourselves. This type of remembering finds redemptive moments in the past and brings them into the present in order that we may live in the future. Remembering is for more than taking a trip down memory lane it is about finding hope to live in the future. We remember the sacrifices in order that we may be hopeful for tomorrow.

It is the latter kind of remembering that is being asked for on this weekend. Active remembering of the sacrifices made gives us hope for a better tomorrow. Hope allows us to look beyond ourselves to what can be for those coming after us. Our politicians do not get this. Hope is not necessary to start wars but hope is necessary to see a world where war is not needed. A world where the Old Testament prophet says, “Swords are turned into plowshares.” It is this type of remembering that evokes the imagination to consider a future with no more war. This weekend, we remember.

What are your Memorial Day rituals?How do you remember?