Today is a day of remembrance. We will pause at 11 AM to quietly honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and those who served - or are serving - to ensure that those sacrifices were not made in vain.
Celebrations of remembrance are important because we are prone to forget. The new thing, the accomplished thing quickly becomes the familiar thing. Unless we are intentional to guard the memories, the details how freedom was established will soon fade from our collective memory.
Forgetting is part of being human. Sometimes that is a good thing; some things deserve to be forgotten. It is all too common, though, to forget the important things. If we were not intentional to stop every November 11, even for a few minutes, how quickly would our appreciation for the cost of our current security and freedom erode away?
This is why forgetting and remembering are issues placed frequently on the radar of God’s people. When the ancient Hebrews were finally prepared to enter the promised land, God warned them:
Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery . . . Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. (Deut. 8:11-19 ESV)
But remembering isn’t a one-way street. God has committed Himself to remembering us. For example, in Genesis God remembers Noah (8:1), His promise to Noah (9:15-16), Abraham (19:29), and Rachel (30:23).
To a people convinced that God had abandoned them, the prophet Isaiah wrote these encouraging words:
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me. (Isa. 49:14-16 ESV)
Imagine that: God has the names of His children tattooed on His hands so every time His hands engage in His creation He remembers them.
Jesus also initiated a confessional act of worship and remembrance. Luke records what happened like this:
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:17-20 ESV)
How do we respond to all of this? First, let’s recognize and be thankful that we live in an environment of security and freedom by God’s grace. Acts 17 makes it clear that each of us lives in the time and place of God’s determination for His purposes. Today we will remember the cost of that freedom with hearts grateful for those who made it possible, for those who continue to work to protect it, and for freedom as a God’s gift of grace which we enjoy everyday almost without thinking about it.
Second, let’s be intentional to pause regularly - not just annually - to confess our submission to God’s authority, dependence on His providence, and loyalty to His Kingdom. One of the “built-in” ways we do that is our frequent celebration of the Lord’s Table and the regular gathering with God’s people. But we also do that by faithfully praying for one another, serving one another, and encouraging each other.
And let’s commit to remembering that God never forgets. Sometimes we need each other to remind us of this truth. When life is hard, it is easy to wonder if God has abandoned us or perhaps is just busy with the other bigger issues happening in His created order. When life is comfortable, it is easy to be distracted and forget that the blessings we enjoy are from His hand. In either case, having others in our lives who can share the burdens and celebrations will also help us to remember, “He alone is God. There is no other.”
