On this Memorial Day, I think about my father who was a veteran of WWII. I think about the many soldiers who have lost their lives in the conflicts of the Middle East and, in the past, Asia. I think about the many soldiers who are Christians, men and women of conviction. This conviction is evident in the execution of their military duties, and in the act of upholding the teachings of Jesus Christ. Because there can be conflicts that high ideals and convictions such as these can engender, I think of the suffering of the soldiers who return home with a lack of the peace of mind that I and many in my safe, secure world take for granted.

Father in heaven, I pray that your children who have taken the dangerous responsibility of defending the earthly safety and security of their homeland, the soldiers who also bring peace to foreign lands of danger and despair, might heal the hurt and injury of the villages in which they toil. I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring peace to them, and to their families who must exist under conditions of uncertainty and danger as well. Bring these brave men and women home and make their transition back to their family and community as victorious as the battles they fought for all of us back home. Amen.

Photograph attributed to This website.