Memorial Day in Worship? A Response to Loren Seibold’s Editorial
by Elliot Piñero | 3 June 2023 |
In November of 2013 I was invited to preach at the Colorado Springs Adventist Church for their Veterans Day Sabbath service. I felt extremely honored to represent service men and women during this special occasion. It was also significant for me to preach wearing my Air Force uniform.
You see, being raised Adventist, military service and Christianity did not mix. I had seen service members censured, criticized, vilified, and marginalized because of their service. It seems that the only Christian military person we could ever talk about positively was Private Desmond Doss! His is an incredible story—as confirmed by the movie about him, which I recommend.
I am not Desmond Doss! Yet I found myself, now in the 21st century, preaching in uniform in a packed Adventist church. How times have changed! I was grateful to the pastor for his courage in allowing me to do so.
Recently I read a piece by Loren Seibold on the Adventist Today website entitled “Memorial Day in Worship.” I’m not, by nature, one who enjoys being controversial; I’m more the guy who likes to listen, not rock the boat, even when it needs to be rocked. I asked Loren about his piece, though, and he graciously invited me to write a reply.
I should be clear that I am not trying to attack anyone who thinks differently from me, or even to insist that you must be convinced by my viewpoint. But I do want to give you a different look on the subject than Loren’s—one that you may never completely understand unless you have served alongside us in the military.
The making of war
Let’s start with the question: is war necessary, or not? And what about the decision to make war, and the reasons leaders have for starting them?
It is clear to me that as long as there is sin on this earth, war will always be necessary. Ecclesiastes 3:8 states, “…a time for war, and a time for peace.” Incidentally, verse 3 of the same chapter says, “…a time to kill.”
For those who follow Revelation closely, chapter 12, verse 7 states, “And a war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.” So long as there is wrong on this planet, there will be a need for people who fight for the right. Yet I can’t wait for Michael to end this all!
The reasons for fighting wars are up to the leaders to decide, not the service members. I agree that the thinking and motives behind what leaders decide to do, especially in government, can be wrong and have less than honorable motives. But we must be careful not to blame the people who serve in the military for the politicians’ mistakes, any more than we should blame Adventist church members for the deficiencies of the leaders responsible for running the church.
Loren mentioned Vietnam and Iraq. I can’t tell you much about Vietnam—I was too young to know much about it except as history. But I was in Iraq twice, and no matter what you hear from the analysts and politicians, we needed to be there, weapons of mass destruction or not! Only someone who deployed to that location would know that. Everyone else is just expressing opinions. And in the famous words of Forrest Gump, “That is all I have to say about that.”
Politics and patriotism
Near the end of the piece, Loren writes, “My preference would be to leave patriotism and its sibling, politics, out of worship.”
With due respect, I disagree with equating those two words, or calling them “siblings.” By definition, patriotism means “devotion to and vigorous support of one’s country,” while politics means “the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially”…(note this part)…”the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.”
It seems to me that those involved in politics are at war with each other for the sake of achieving power. That is not patriotism—and has absolutely nothing to do with those who serve in uniform. When you put on a uniform, there is no gender, race, color, religion, political party, personal agenda, or power-seeking; just simple, unadulterated service—service till death, if necessary.
Selfless service
Does that sound familiar? It should.
Years ago my wife, Daisy, gave me a picture of a serviceman in uniform, with eagle’s wings and the American flag. Below it is the verse from John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (KJV). To be in military service is about people who lay down their lives for others whom they don’t even know. I bow my head and pray, “Lord, let me help one, and hurt none.”
When my youngest son, Zach, joined the Marines, I asked him why. (I could never be a Marine—I am too wimpy.) He said, “There are many reasons, Dad. The main one is that I want to defend and protect those who cannot do it for themselves.” I wiped a few tears from my eyes, because I knew exactly what he meant!
I have met so many incredible people in my 27 years of service, and I have learned so much from them—including what a Christian should act and look like. Something important I learned from my military service is what it means to serve selflessly, like the Master. Selfless service is preached from pulpits all over the world, as well it should be. And you know why? Because that is what Jesus did! I wish more of my brothers and sisters in Christ would understand that, instead of only seeing the things that divide us in society and church.
I find it interesting that we celebrate great missionary service when people go overseas and suffer hardship for the cause. But once you put a uniform on it, no one talks about it. I guess all you see with the uniform are guns and killing and nothing else. To be honest, I think it is short-sighted. We do what we do as service men and women not just because we are patriots, or we have an agenda, but because it is the right thing to do!
What are we memorializing?
When we celebrate a national holiday, what are we remembering and honoring? It depends, but in the case of Memorial Day and Veterans Day we remember not the country or government, but the men and women who sacrificed themselves for the service of others. These are not times to discuss politics, but to celebrate personal sacrifice.
In one sense, I don’t have a problem mixing faith and government: there are several Bible verses exhorting us to support the government and its leaders (Romans 13:1; Titus 3:1; and 1 Peter 2:13, to cite a few). That doesn’t mean we agree with everything the politicians believe, say, or do. The problem arises when political matters lead us to compromise our belief in the one true God—and as a Seventh-day Adventist, we believe that will happen to some.
So, if you want to take down the flag from the front of churches, fine—I don’t have an issue with that. If you want to keep it up, that’s fine with me as well. My point is that in a spiritual context we should not be thinking about the country and institution; we should concentrate on the individuals who make up that institution and make it what it is. When we look only at the flag itself, we should forget the “stars,” but remember those who received “the stripes” in order to give us the opportunity to worship in freedom—at least for now.
My favorite verses are found in Philippians 2:3-8,
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ…he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.
I pray for that kind of mentality daily. It is what I saw on the faces and in the lives of those with whom I served this country.
Elliot Piñero is a retired colonel who served a total of 27 yrs in the Army and Air Force. Currently, he is a radiologist at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center.