A Stream of Blood
In 1776 America Declared it’s independence. And a stream of Blood would soon begin to flow. From Bunker Hill to Baghdad, and from Manassas to Normandy, the river has flowed. The American way of life has been under attack for over 200 years. Some from within it’s own borders but most from without. When we fought on the fields of freedom we felt the sincere human desire to take the oppression that would certainly come with our defeat and destroy it. That desire has led many to defend it and to lay down their lives for it.
That stream of blood is what gives us the right to worship who we want, say what we want and demonstrate, even against the very nation that gives us these rights. That stream of blood is the same stream of blood that winds through Gettysburg and trickles eventually to Afghanistan. A nation a world away, Afghanistan was probably not even know by most of those who died at Gettysburg, yet that same spirit was on both battlefields and so was that same blood. The blood of valiant Americans.
As Americans, we sometimes forget that the freedom we enjoy was bought with a price. A price that only can be paid with blood. In the Old Testament the Jews offered up a blood sacrifice for their sins so they could have freedom from the consequences of those sins. In the New Testament there is also a price that was paid for freedom. That was Paid by Jesus Christ when he shed his blood on Calvary for our sins so that we may have freedom from the consequences of sin.
Through out all of history, there have never been true freedom without the shedding of blood. And no tyrant, nor dictator, nor overlord has ever been defeated without the shedding of blood. It is simply the cost that must be paid for freedom.
So as we celebrate Memorial day we remember those who fought. We remember those who died. We also remember it also important to appreciate those sacrifices. That stream of blood that came from Calvary over 2000 years ago is still winding through history and will continue to grow, until freedom, true freedom is won in the world. That will indeed happen one day. But until that day, we will keep our flag flying high, our faith in tact and our eyes squarely on the prize that is freedom.
