Thoughts for Memorial Day

Perhaps some of you wondered when Wednesday came and went and there was no blog posted at "Christianity for Today."  And I apologize.  I got caught up in an outdoor project that I needed to get completed as rain was forecast.  I finished just in time.  And how it has rained.  My rain gauge shows nearly four inches and there is the possibility of another one to two inches yet today.  I think I could go fishing in my backyard.  We rejoice over its being received, yet know there are so many places that need rain.  Wished we could share our abundance with you.

These are interesting days.  I trust you are following the elections in Egypt.  They began yesterday and will continue through today.  They are the first truly-free elections in Egypt in nearly a half century.  Thirteen candidates are vying for the position of President, but only four are considered to be front runners.  Included are two members of the Muslim Brotherhood, although both will tend to be more toward the center of the MB - yet they both espouse Islamic Law.  Then there are two members from the old Mubarak regime, including one candidate who is more in tune with the politics of Gamal Abdul Nasser, back in the 1950's and 60's.  Each candidate has gone on record as saying that the 1979 peace accords with Israel should at least be revisited, if not just flatly overthrown.  With the prospect of no one receiving a majority of the vote, there will be a run-off election between the top two candidates in early June.  So, keep your eyes focused upon Egypt - what happens there will have a great impact upon the rest of the Islamic Middle East. 

And I am also watching the negotiations between Iran and the six nation Western coalition: the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China, and Germany.  The proposal presented this week to Iran would require the immediate freeze on Iran's uranium enrichment program.  Iran has balked at this plan because the West is not as willing to reduce the economic sanctions placed upon Iran.  Caution is the watchword here as the Iranians have a history of signing their name to a treaty, only to break it later.  If you want a full description of how this has worked in the past, I highly recommend you read Dore Gold's book, "The Rise of Nuclear Iran."  That book will both trouble you and fascinate you. 

And, who can not keep watch on what is happening in Greece.  Presently there is no Parliament in Greece as it has dissolved itself pending new parliamentary elections in early June.  You might say, "Didn't Greece just have elections?"  The answer is "Yes, they did, but the ruling party did not have an ability to create a coalition to govern."  So, therefore the need for elections.  The future of Greece truly hangs in the balance.  The rest of Europe will be watching the outcome of those elections.  If Greece should leave the Eurozone (for those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, it represents those nations of Europe who have adopted the Euro as their form of currency), there is speculation that other nations might follow because of their own deep financial crises, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland.  And the impact of an implosion in the Eurozone would be greatly felt in our own faltering economy. 

On an entirely different note, word was released yesterday of a major antiquities find discovered in digs near the Old City walls of Jerusalem.  I have posted a link to the article: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05/23/archaeologists-unearth-ancient-bethlehem-seal/?intcmp=features.  It is a half-inch seal that bears the name of Bethlehem and dates from the time of the first Temple, indicating that Bethlehem was an important trading partner with Jerusalem back in those days.  And, of course, it gives more evidence of the reality of David who was from Bethlehem.  Friends, over the past decade, the evidence being discovered in digs around the city of Jerusalem are astounding.  Biblical history is literally coming to life through the spades of the archaeologists.  I can hardly wait to get back to Jerusalem to see what has been found. 

This is Memorial Day weekend, a time when we remember those who gave their lives in service of our nation.  I remember, as a boy, going to the cemeteries and visiting the graves of great grandparents.  I remember seeing the brightly blooming peonies, whose blossoms were so large that they literally hung as if in a solemn salute of those honored.  Freedoms that we enjoy came with a high price.  As Julia Ward Howe expressed in her stirring hymn that became the anthem of the Civil War - "As He (speaking of Christ) died to make men holy, Let us die to make men free; While God is marching on."  And she was so correct.  Our spiritual freedoms cost the Son of God His very life.  And our national freedom cost the lives of hundreds of thousands young Americans.  Neither of those freedoms should be taken for granted.  Take a few moments this weekend to perhaps visit a cemetery, to stand in awe of the flag-lined roadways there, and to say a word of thanks to those who gave their all so that you might have the freedom to be who you are today.  Then, thank God that He has provided for your salvation - so full and free.