Originally delivered Monday, November 11, 2019 at Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in Irving, TX. Greetings to the system president, chaplain staff, cherished veterans and honored guests.
Life is oftentimes a struggle. From the struggles of childbirth to the struggles at end of life (both of which we see here at the hospital), to emotional and relational struggles, from struggles at home to those at work and abroad: life is often a struggle. I am not immune from it and neither are you. None of us are, and each of our struggles is unique. Individuals face struggles as do nations. What struggle is and the purpose it serves is part of what I’d like to share today.
What defines struggle? It has been characterized as a forceful or violent effort to become free from bondage, constriction, or restraint. In my opinion, I believe that the human struggle is a fight for personal freedom. Wars are (of course) struggles between nation states. Today we honor those among us who have had the willingness and courage to struggle and to wage war, who have fought for our national principles and values, and who have defended our individual freedoms. To you we are grateful.
Today is (of course) Veterans Day. It marks the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany was signed. This ceasefire on paper wasn’t the real end of the war as combat ensued and casualties followed and the struggle did not effectively cease on many fronts until months later, but the armistice was a beginning to that process. I think it was a prophetic declaration of a hope that the violent struggle would soon end. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the first Veterans (or Armistice) Day made by President Wilson and in it we commemorate servicemembers of all wars, past and present, and we thank you for your service.
World War I was named the “War to end all Wars,” and the phrase while hopeful, remains inaccurate. Struggles for freedom continue, and as we know the war to end all wars was the merely the beginning of many struggles to follow in both the 20th and 21st centuries. World War II, The Korean War, The Crisis in Lebanon, The Vietnam War, The Invasions of Grenada and Panama and the Bombings in Lybia, The Gulf War and the War in Kosovo, The War in Afghanistan, The Iraq War, Operations Desert and Ocean Shield, among others. To the veterans who served in any of these conflicts and those who currently serve in America’s ongoing military operations, we thank you and we honor you today.
For many of our service members, there remains a personal struggle that continues long after the gunshots and artillery have ceased, after the ship is docked, after the plane landed and the war – at least for the moment – is over. For many of our military brothers and sisters, wars waged on the outside continue as struggles on the inside, and peace in the midst of post-traumatic stress and disruption is difficult to find. Struggle creates pain and suffering that cause some of us to question the entire meaning of life. For those of us who experience this very real emotional and psychological battle, only you know the full extent of the struggle you are facing. We can’t imagine it or fully comprehend it, yet we are grateful for allowing us to be present with you in it. We honor your courage to engage that struggle, and we celebrate your pursuit of meaning within and beyond that struggle.
What good is there in struggling? What’s the purpose within struggle? Struggle implies conflict and is often the cause of deep pain and suffering. Suffering can lead us in least a couple directions: one, it can cause us to ponder whether or not the prize on the other end of the suffering is worth obtaining; and two, it can give us pause to determine whether greater worth and deeper meaning can be found in the midst of that same suffering. In other words, is the struggle worth it, even if the suffering never goes away?
This is of course very easy for me to say but incredibly difficult to live. As I think of my own faith, I consider that Jesus faced the struggle to carry the sins of humanity in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said – understanding the very real pain he was about to endure, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” He found meaning in the suffering and IN the midst of the struggle, and humanity has never been the same because of it. According to my faith tradition, His struggle opened the possibility for reconciliation with all humankind, so that we can say that “[Yes], in this world [we] will have trouble. But [we can] take heart! [Christ] has overcome the world.” We can claim with confidence that “The peace of God that passes all understanding keep[s] our hearts and minds this day [and every day in Christ Jesus].” I invite you to explore the spiritual heroes who help you encounter meaning in suffering and struggle in your own life.
Today we honor those who’ve had the honesty and vulnerability to recognize the struggle and suffering of the human condition, who’ve had the courage to engage that struggle every day, and who’ve had the faith and hope to pursue the worthy cause of personal freedom in God: the peace that comes from reconciliation with self, with others, and with him. In my life, as a child of God, as a husband, as a minister, and as a military officer, my goal has become not to avoid the inevitable pain that accompanies life’s struggle, but to find greater meaning in it, and to hopefully help others do the same.
In America, just as the fight for freedom remains a worthy cause, the fight for personal meaning and purpose remains what I believe to be one of the greatest and noblest pursuits in our human journey, and I invite us all to reach into the depths of our hearts this morning and explore the meaning of our respective struggles. Whether we fully find them or not, who knows how many people will be inspired simply by our pursuit? For the veterans of the struggles of our nation, we salute you and admire your courage. For the veterans of struggles of the heart and mind, we applaud you and admire your bravery.
Yes, life is often a struggle, but peace can be found even in the midst of struggle. As C.S. Lewis stated, “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.” My prayer for us all this morning is that we be able to find greater meaning and significance in the middle of the tension and struggle of everyday life, and to know that we are not alone in our struggle, and that our struggle, even in the midst of its imperfection, is an inspiration to more people than we might think.
My prayer and closing blessing for us this morning is what Paul prayed to the Philippian congregation many years ago, “May the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds this day [and every day].” Thank you. God bless you.
David Lockwood 