Memorial Days: May 31 and June 4th, 1989

Freedom. Enjoying life. Pursuit of Happiness.
Remembering the Past.
Hoping for an Even Better Future.

This child is loved by God, he has freedoms which are intended to be his by Creator and may at some point be cut short by people, systems, or simply the lack of being taught: God loves you.

There are numerous "left-overs" from the wars, conflicts, uprisings, coups and other actions which have been taken to defend the cause of freedom within groups and nations. This is a war cannon, located at the Guia Fortress Lighthouse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guia_Fortress)that is from the time when the Portugese were defending themselves against possible "invaders".This past week has given us a variety of days for which we can give thanks and reflect the special, unique and yet very common realities the Chinese and the Americans are experiencing at this time.

May 31st, June 1st, and June 4th, 2010:

A week to remember; A foundation for the future.

May 31st, 2010, was the last Monday of May, which has been set aside as the formal day of Memorial Day in the U.S.A.. Then you have June 1st, which is largely considered to be International Children's Day. Some people recognize these days for their deeper meaning, and others seem them as a day for "holiday" or "school celebrations and special treats" or, as is the case with Memorial Day, it is the 3-4 day weekend which marks the "beginning of summer". Regardless of how you feel or what you think about the history and current celebration of these days - there is no denying that there is something special about these days and celebrations.

Now, on to June 4th, 1989. I vaguely recall this summer and this day back in 1989. As an elementary school kid, my main focus was the summer. I recall news shows and newspapers covering this incident called "Tiananmen Square" and student protests. Today, June 4th, 2010, 21 years later, those protests and actions of the State of China are the topic of many conversations. The desire is for all of the truth to be shared and it is my prayer that there will continue to be constructive and truthful discussion taking place because of the many newspaper and blog headlines across the globe.

Now, more than ever, I realize the importance of the sacrifice which God went through to give me freedom. He did the same thing for you and for all people.

"For God so Loved the World that He Gave His Only Begotten Son, (Jesus Christ), that whoseover believes in Him (Jesus) shall not die but have Everlasting Life." - John 3:16

Freedom was, and is now, the reason why protestors and soldiers in every field have ever fought. This is regardless of their leadership or philosophy of their tactics. Even those who were mislead, they started their journey with the mindset of this action being the means to secure a "free" future.

As far as this commentator understands, (and I will readily concede my ignorance on details of most matters) it is my opinion that the reason why countries, nations, and individuals have launched any kind of protests or outright attacks on another person or nation is because at some point there was the feeling of themselves being under attack, controlled, and ultimately, not being allowed to be free.

I find it interesting that the reason why America was first founded was because a group of people didn't want to be controlled by a State; a State which tried to enforce a specific religion onto the people. Then, fast forward to today, the State of China (and other countries) goes to great length to keep faith in the control of the State so as to not allow the influence of "outsiders" to corrupt it's people or so-called heritage. I think there's a connection in there somewhere.

The connnections - similarities and differences - over the years have not been as clear as they are today.

When God wants to teach, sometimes he is very direct, clear, and to the point. Always, He allows us, his children, to have choice in our life. It is our choices and the choices of others, which ultimately effect us. It was choice that caused people to follow Jesus, it was choice for those who wanted Jesus killed. His choice to allow that to happen, gives me the freedom and gratitude which I now enjoy as a Saved child of God.

May we all choose peace and love as the way for which to celebrate and to resolve.

- James