Death and Renewal

Memorial Day just completed and the Fire Works which begin Israel's 66th birthday sound loud in the air and will be circling the city until late tonight.  The hard part is done… a holy and solemn day is over.

A friend told me today that each memorial day she looks at the dead she carries on her back all year long and she feels the sorrow all over again. I cringed.  Jews are a people group that survived four millennia.  No other people group had existed that long.  Each of us has family dead, especially in this country and this nation.  We continue to see our children, family members, and neighbours go to wars and the earth soaks their blood.

They died for a reason.  They died so we can live.  Each left a legacy of a life that was special and unique and was the gift that was left behind for each of us.  If we concentrate only on their death, we miss carrying that torch.  If we only mourn, we don't go on living as was the intent of those who died for us. To truly honor our heroes, we have to concentrate on the renewal of our lives.

From ashes this nation had re-gathered, from a desert it re-created a vital living organism in colorful blooms that is known as the State of Israel.  To truly celebrate our 66th Independent Day and to honor the sacrifices of millions over the generations, we need to celebrate the renewal.

There is a power in the resurrection; it is the torch of life which was left for us to build on.  Celebrate life - it will be the true honoring of our dead.

124th Day of Praise -

Thank you God for the power of the resurrection which gives us life

Learning to replace mourning with joy,

Orith