“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus’ words call to mind a heroic act where the rescuer lost his or her life in the process. Laying down one’s life for another, whether in the line of duty for the general public or one civilian doing so for another, displays true dedication for the well-being of people. This Monday our thoughts turn especially to our military. Memorial Day is a day of reflection. It is a day to say, “Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all who have died to spare the lives of others.”
The greatest act of love transcends the accounts of heroism in military operations. When Jesus gave up his life at the cross of Calvary around the year 30 AD, this was more than one soldier yielding his life for another or for many others. This involved our God, the Creator of the universe, laying down his life for the created – for the created who had gone bad. That’s all of us! Romans 5 states it precisely: “You see, at just the right time when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Say a prayer of thanksgiving for our troops and pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. Pray also that every one of our troops and those whom they protect would know not only our love for them. May they know the greatest love our world has ever known. We have a Savior!
Bless our troops who serve each day.
Bless them as their lives they lay.
Bless their souls that they may know
The greatest love our God did show.
-President John A. Moldstad
