The Journey Continues: Thoughts on Veterans Day 2020
Deeply woven into my journey is being both a veteran and a Christian. Veterans share a camaraderie and the warmth of brotherhood when we meet. I always say, “I know your heart,” because of our shared military experiences. Looking forward to Veterans Day, we are reminded that service to the nation comes at a cost — putting service to the nation above self. I share with you now a recollection from a leadership class I attended on active duty. The invited speaker challenged us to not make our life values based on a selfish “me” which is expressed in the saying: self-preservation is the first law of nature. He said, rather, a better law of nature is based on dual/ life value, which means “you and me.” He gave the following story to illustrate his point:
“It was still dusk … the troop of African baboons had only just returned from the feeding grounds, barely having reached their scattered sleeping places in the rocks piled high beneath the overhand of a cliff. Now, they were shrilling their terror. The writer saw a leopard as it appeared from the bushes of another cliff overlooking them. So vulnerable were the baboons, that the leopard seemed to feel no need to hurry. He crouched, observing his prey and the terrain before him. The writer then saw that two male baboons were edging along a cliff high above the leopard. They moved cautiously, but if the leopard saw them, he ignored them because his attention was fixed on the swarming, screeching group scrambling among the rocks below him. Suddenly from the height of 12 feet, the two males dropped from their cliff on top of him. One male bit at the leopard’s spine and the other struck at his throat while clinging to his neck from below. In an instant, the leopard disemboweled with his hind claws the baboon hanging to his neck; and then turned his head to catch in his jaws the other baboon on his back. But it was too late for him — the dying, disemboweled baboon had lived just long enough to reach the leopard’s jugular vein with his canines. Movement stilled and with the sacrifice of one baboon, the group survived. The writer saw that death enveloped both prey and predator alike.”
Many of us who have served are alive today as veterans because another soldier paid the cost. All veterans have given up the security of their own home, left behind family and friends to join the service. Readers, please recognize today, Veterans Day, not only those you know who have served but also veterans who still bear illness of mind or body who need our extra prayers and support.
John 15:13(NIV) “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Let us remember those who call the Suicide prevention Talk Line (1-800-273-TALK, press 1 for veterans) for help; or those currently in veteran hospitals or homeless. General Burn Loeffke quoted Ecclesiastes 4:10(NIV) “But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.”
