Room in the Inn?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Imagine a day when a folk song says “Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to plant flowers, every one, since they have finally learned, since they have finally learned.”

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The news and noise of the world reminds us that we do not hide from it. You call us to love it, pray for it, serve in it.

Yet we also need quiet space apart from it. We need to make space for you to speak to us so that we feel refreshed, hopeful and inspired. We need space to reflect on our lives in the world and on how you act in us and in the world.

Give us this day the daily bread to keep us strong in our service to you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“A room for 13 in the Jerusalem Holiday Inn, please. We’re coming into town for Passover.”

[No room in that inn, either. And He never said it.]

D. Blog: Memorial Day

Decoration Day began as a day to decorate the gravesites of soldiers killed during the nation’s wars. Now called Memorial Day, it has expanded to remember those killed while giving service to the nation, and, in many cases, to remembering their widows/widowers and orphans by giving them financial support.

I have no quarrel with any of that. But I think our definition of service to the nation should be more expansive, to include service given outside of the military and war. So I can remember on this day police officers and fire fighters who died in the line of duty. I can remember Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King, Jr., or John F. Kennedy, who were killed while providing incredible service to the nation. I can honor teachers killed in their classrooms, or government workers in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Service to the nation does not always wear a uniform.