God Bless Our Veterans

Greetings,

I want to take this day to step away from my journey and write of the journeys of others, especially our veterans.  Today is Veteran's Day.  This is a day when we honor all of the men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation.  These are brave men and women who have made a decison to defend this great nation of ours.  I am a veteran, my father is a veteran, my brother and two uncles, all veterans.  I am very proud of that fact.  I am proud that when it came  to serving our country in uniform the Hutchison men answered that call.

As this long and bitter war in Afghanistan and Iraq rages on I stop this day to take stock in what we have gained and lost.  As a pastor of the gospel I am sure that many people would think that I would be anti-war.  Not so.  As a christian I believe that there are "just" wars.  I believe that at certain times in our nation's life we have been called to protect the great freedoms that we all cherish.  Honestly, I have a little bit of a hard time trying to understand those who say, "I don't support the war but I do support our troops".  To me that is a little like saying, "Derek, I support you as a pastor but I don't support your church".  I am my church.  Those brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and cost guardsman are the war!

This country has been ripped apart at the very center debating whether this war is necessary.  On September 10th, 2001 maybe not.  But our country is not the same as it was on September 10th.  The reason is because we experienced September 11th.  It was on that day that my generation's "Pearl Harbor" occured.  It was on that day that my country was attacked and you just don't get to do that!  It was on that day the military might of these United States stepped forward and said "We will defend ourselves", no matter the cost.

You don't have to like  war, no one does.  Yet, I believe, that once our valiant military steps into the ring to fight you have to give them 100% support.  Should we be at war?  I don't know?  Was it really for oil that we sent our brave men and women to the middle east.  I haven't a clue.  What I do know is that they are over there now and I am going to support them every step of the way.

The veterans who founght in WW II have been called "The Greatest Generation".  At a time when tyranny threatened our way of life they stepped forward and defended that way of life.  As a christian I believe that all people have the right to be free.  All people have the right to determine their own destiny whether for good or for bad.  Individual freedom and the shaking off of the chains that bind us is a gift from God.  It doesn't matter whether those chains that bind us are spiritual or physical Christ came to set us free.  And if that is true, and it is, doesn't it stand to reason that if we are prepared to fight for our own freedoms shouldn't we be willing to fight for everyone's freedom?

This debate will rage on forever.  Red states will argue with blue states.  Democrats will argue with Republicans and Independents will try and find middle ground.  Those who loved President Bush will support the war and those who hated him will say it was for oil.  In the end, all that really matters is that our country has to be defended and it is up to our brave military to defend it.  In war time and in peace time the armed forces of the United States of America stand ready to answer the call to fight for freedom.  My father knew that, my uncles knew that, and my brother and I knew that.  We were privileged to serve. 

On this Veteran's Day of 2009 let us take a moment to remember those who gave what President Lincoln called, "the last full measure of devotion".  For those who served, thank you, and for those serving now my prayers are for you!

Jesus said, "there is no greater thing than for a man than to lay down his life for another".  May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America!

Blessings,

Derek