On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we celebrate and give thanks for those who have served in the armed forces. A day that once celebrated the moment fighting stopped during “the war to end all wars” and memorialized those lives lost, Veterans Day has since become the day we pause to honor and give thanks to “America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good” (US Department of Veteran Affairs on the History of Veterans Day).

As a part of a Christian community that “deplores war” and states that “enforced military service is incompatible with the gospel,” it is often hard to reconcile with the fact that there are moments where force is needed. While many believe war is never acceptable, some believe there are moments when “peaceful alternatives have failed, the force of arms may regretfully be preferable to unchecked aggression, tyranny, and genocide.” (The United Methodist Book of Discipline ¶164)

Those who take up the call to live as people of war for a season, deserve to be honored, respected, encouraged, and cared for- many of whom enlist to find something better for themselves, their families, the country they call home, and countries around the world. They endure difficult training, extreme stress, often lose their closest friends, and see things that cannot be unseen. Their experiences cannot be matched or even fully understood by the civilians they protect.

So on this eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we celebrate and give thanks for those who have served in the armed forces, who have given their lives in service to others. We share with them God’s love, regardless of our own opinions on the actions they took during their time in uniform, because not only are they beloved children of God, they have also taken up a difficult call to work for justice and peace in the world.

To all those who have served, thank you.

Blessings friends,
Pastor Nicole