(Note: P.A. and Tippy Foster are charter members of the West Side congregation. P.A. serves as on of the elders of our congregation. They are two wonderful and godly individuals).
Last Tuesday Debbie and I had the distinct privilege of attending a reception honoring P.A. and Tippy Foster among a group of about 80 World War II veterans. In that group was a survivor of the Bataan death march, who remained a prisoner of war for three and one half years. There were also several who had stormed the beach at Normandy on D-Day. Tippy had the distinction of being the only lady among those honored. P.A. and Tippy both served in the Navy during the war.
Several of the men told of their experiences during the war. Some of these stories were humorous, but in all of them there was the recognition of just how horrific war is, and how great were the sacrifices of both those who survived the conflict, and those who lost their lives in service to their country and humanity.
I was touched the words of several who either suffered little, or were so young as to have just entered the military at the very end of the war. They proclaimed themselves unworthy of such honor, but expressed their feelings of debt toward those who had fought so valiantly and suffered so much in the conflict. While I would argue that every veteran there was certainly worthy of recognition, I appreciated their desire to express their thanks to their comrades in arms. Approximately 16.5 million Americans served in the armed forces during World War II, and at this point in time, only about 2 million remain alive. The youngest World War II veteran is now over 84 years old.
The President of the United States at the end of the war was Harry S. Truman. There is a quote attributed to him at the war’s end that is inscribed at the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. It is read daily by thousands:
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. American will never forget their sacrifices.”
President Truman is right. We owe these men and women a debt we can never repay. Our liberty was secured by their blood and valor.
The same feeling of indebtedness and tender emotions characteristic of our attitudes toward these men and women should also be found in our attitude toward the Christ of God. Jesus of Nazareth left the abode of Heaven, and purchased our spiritual liberty with His own shed blood. The sacrifice was a selfless one, motivated by a love for and concern for the souls of all mankind. Such a selfless act is unmatched in human history.
“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:4-8).
Any man, woman or child who is so cold as to be unmoved by the great sacrifices of those soldiers should be ashamed. There are few times in my life where I have been moved more by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance than I was on that occasion. In a similar fashion, we all should be touched by the sacrifice of our Lord. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
