Gracious God, on this “the unofficial start of summer,” we remember that for many, this is a day of grief and somber remembering. Even as many celebrate a day off from work or school, there are people in our midst who keenly miss someone with whom they wish they could celebrate.
We give thanks for the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. We dare not forget the very real and human cost of war. May we never become complacent to the loss of men and women whose death in far away places forever alters the lives of their friends and families here at home.
We pray for peace, especially as war continues year after year. We ask for the courage to work for peace, to care for those devastated by conflicts around the globe, and to love even our enemies as Christ commands.
On this Memorial Day we remember and give thanks for those who served and died so that we can live in freedom today and every other day of the year as well. Amen.
