Pastor’s Corner: Veteran’s Day

November 11, 2020

A friend of mine – a veteran – has embraced his inner curmudgeon despite being younger than I am. As a veteran, one of his grumpy spots is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day honors those who lost their lives in service. Veterans Day honors those who were able to return to their homes and families.

It is fitting to remember, to mourn, and to honor the dead. It is also fitting to remember, to honor, and to support the living. Veterans returning from service face a challenging transition to civilian life. Many of the instincts that training so carefully instills in a soldier simply don’t work outside of the military. As a teacher told me once long ago: Learning is hard. Unlearning is harder.

Some service members return home with the scars of war: physical, psychological, and spiritual injuries that need time, support, and skilled assistance to heal. Not all return with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, but those who suffer that or another injury need help, and will live much better when they get it.

Most of all, I give thanks that Veterans Day marks the transition from time of war to time of peace – it falls on the day the Armistice ended the fighting in World War I. I give thanks that our veterans lived to be veterans, and to continue their contributions in our families, communities, and societies. May those serving now also become veterans some day, turning from the time of war to the time of peace.

With aloha,

Pastor Eric