Memorial Day reflections

Reflecting on Memorial Day this year has been a bit different. This day was originally called “Decoration Day” instituted by General John Logan of the US Army of the Grand Republic in 1868. The idea was to decorate the graves of Union soldiers in honor of their service. Confederate soldiers were honored state to state on various days, and it wasn’t until after WW I that the whole country focused together.

I had the opportunity to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg about two months ago and with that fresh in my memory, I was struck by the strangeness of the situation. Everywhere you looked there were statues, plaques, or monuments commemorating various aspects and participants in the Battle, both Union and Confederate. It was ironic to read (my paraphrase), for example:

“Here is where so and so’s battalion of the Army of Northern Virginia fired massive amounts of cannon balls upon the Union lines blowing them to smithereens.”

Then you go down the hill and there is a plaque that says,

“Here is where so and so’s battalion of the Grand Army of the Potomac received heavy casualties…”

Doesn’t this seem a little strange to you? Commemorations of both sides of a conflict on the same battlefield? I suppose it has something to do with this being a “War between the States” and so all sides are represented. Still, let’s look at this in another way.

“Here is where we killed them.”

“Here is where we got killed.”

I am at a loss when it comes to the horror of war. I have a combination within me of revulsion and anger mixed with honor, grief, confusion, helplessness and quiet determination.

God have mercy on us all. Lord Jesus, come.