On this Memorial Day, I got up early to walk the dog and get some work done before the parade. It was eerily quiet outside. The whole town seemed to be sleeping in. There was no traffic and no one out under the bright blue sky. The town was at peace.
There was something appropriate and yet something ironic about the peace of this morning. It seemed appropriate because today we celebrate the sacrifices of the many men and women who fought to earn this peace. And yet it seemed ironic because war rages this morning throughout the world. I’m grateful to those who fought to earn the peace I enjoy today. But I long for the true shalom of God’s Kingdom, in which all our swords are beaten into ploughshares and there is no need for wars any longer.