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Commemorate and Celebrate
A recent Sun editorial points out that in the Hebrew bible the word "zakora" (remembering) appears 170,000 times. The exhortation is to remember history and exile and truth and joy. Sure, we all take special pleasure in remembering good things: birthdays, anniversaries, special moments with family and friends. At the same time it is healthy and human to remember painful things. We take no pleasure in other people's loses, but the act, the art, of showing/feeling sympathy and sorrow forces us to explore our humanity.
For example, I remember with pain the death of my grandfather some thirty years ago. But the act of remembering honors him and what follows the remembering are all the special memories that I treasure. Each of you here this morning, no matter how young or old has the same obligation and responsibility to recall, then to feel, and finally to appreciate.
The second word, celebrate means to honor. We celebrate important tangible things/events; likewise we celebrate examples of inspiration, triumphs of the human spirit, small and large acts of kindness.
This morning, it is okay to remember, to commemorate, and finally to celebrate. You see, the two words are linked because before we can celebrate, we must first remember. Today, tomorrow, as the days pass, let us all have the courage to commemorate, to remember. Let us also join together to celebrate what makes each of us strong: the gift of freedom, the human spirit, the responsibility to care, to love those who are close to us and those who live and die with the courage to put others' welfare ahead of our own personal need. This morning let us remember, but let us move with haste to celebrate what makes each of us, individually and together, strong. Precisely what makes us strong is that indomitable spirit which instinctively moves us to reach out to others, in small ways, in large ways.
A recent Sun editorial points out that in the Hebrew bible the word "zakora" (remembering) appears 170,000 times. The exhortation is to remember history and exile and truth and joy. Sure, we all take special pleasure in remembering good things: birthdays, anniversaries, special moments with family and friends. At the same time it is healthy and human to remember painful things. We take no pleasure in other people's loses, but the act, the art, of showing/feeling sympathy and sorrow forces us to explore our humanity.
For example, I remember with pain the death of my grandfather some thirty years ago. But the act of remembering honors him and what follows the remembering are all the special memories that I treasure. Each of you here this morning, no matter how young or old has the same obligation and responsibility to recall, then to feel, and finally to appreciate.
The second word, celebrate means to honor. We celebrate important tangible things/events; likewise we celebrate examples of inspiration, triumphs of the human spirit, small and large acts of kindness.
This morning, it is okay to remember, to commemorate, and finally to celebrate. You see, the two words are linked because before we can celebrate, we must first remember. Today, tomorrow, as the days pass, let us all have the courage to commemorate, to remember. Let us also join together to celebrate what makes each of us strong: the gift of freedom, the human spirit, the responsibility to care, to love those who are close to us and those who live and die with the courage to put others' welfare ahead of our own personal need. This morning let us remember, but let us move with haste to celebrate what makes each of us, individually and together, strong. Precisely what makes us strong is that indomitable spirit which instinctively moves us to reach out to others, in small ways, in large ways.