I think this is the only time you will hear me say this; I am entirely unqualified to be preaching this Sunday. Today we honor the Veterans who have served this great nation and the veterans who have served the allies of this great nation. I never served our country in the military. I feel very out of place standing here before all of you today talking about veterans. The man who started the Veterans Recognition Sunday events at Redeemer, Fr. Marsden, is retired and enjoying himself traveling, and hiking, as he very much deserves. He was always very authentic in honoring our veterans. I see veterans from the outside looking in, and from hearing stories about service from veterans. That is how I will preach today, as an observer of our veterans and through a theological lens.
My grandfathers, on both sides of my family, served in World War Two. My father’s father served in the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific, where he received the Purple Heart. My mother’s father served in the Battle of the Bulge in the European theater. Both of them talked freely about their experiences in World War Two. I am grateful that, as a young child, I had the opportunity to hear from them about their service. Last year, I came across a book entitled “Fighting with Patton’s Third Army: World War Two Memoirs of George F. Threlfall.” I looked at pictures of the book and saw none other than my grandfather pictured with the author on the back cover! I remember in third grade before Veterans Day I was allowed to bring to my class a citation my grandfather received for show and tell. The citation, which he received with his Bronze Star, said this: “Edward J. Wurtz, field artillery, who while serving with the army of the United States, distinguished himself by heroism on (redacted) in France. Pvt. Wurtz, as a member of a gun crew, worked under a heavy enemy artillery barrage and did materially assist in the neutralizing of a battery of enemy guns. His devotion to duty and complete disregard of his own personal safety was a determining factor in the successful completion of an assigned duty.” I remember proudly reading that to my class. In the book, I found the information about that battle in detail, and it enabled me to see through my grandfather’s eyes in a way I was never able to before.
The reason he received the Bronze Star was the one thing about the war he chose to never talk about. It is, in my opinion, of the utmost importance that our veterans tell their stories. The stories of our veterans’ struggles, of their victories, of the friendships they made, and, most importantly, why they chose to serve this country and to freely and sacrificially give of themselves.
Here at Redeemer, right behind me, and just behind the lectern where we read the lessons, are two crosses. One is a crucifix, and the other is an image of Christ the King or better known as a Christus Rex. Last Saturday, Steve Wernet asked me which processional cross to use for All Souls Mass in the St. Francis Garden. I told him, “the one where Jesus is winning,” meaning the Christus Rex. On that cross, Christ is adorned in priestly garments and wearing a beautiful crown. It depicts the victorious Jesus. I made a mistake that day, however, describing the Christus Rex as the “one where Jesus is winning.” Those words really describe the crucifix. It is in Christ’s crucifixion that He conquers death and opens up the way of salvation to the world.
Often, when we think about victory, we picture the end result, we picture Christ the King or the parade after the war. We imagine our freedom, our culture, our wealth. Too often, we forget for Christ to be king, Jesus first had to defeat our greatest enemy, death itself. Too often, we forget for us to be free; many great men and women had to confront their greatest fear, dying in battle and in service for each of us. Today I suggest we think of the sacrifice of our troops, as the image of victory, just like we should look at the crucifix as the image of Christ’s victory. The men and women of our armed forces lay down their life for their brothers and sisters. They do so for each of us, so we will never have to know the cost of war. Our veterans have paid that price for us.
The service and sacrifice of the men and women of our armed forces are made out of sacrificial love for this country. To all of the veterans here today, I thank you. I encourage you to talk to people, especially to your families, about your service, not out of pride or need for attention, but so that we may know what it looks like to serve. What it looks like to lay down a life for a friend. What it looks like to freely give of self for God and for country. Perhaps your stories of selflessness will rub off on the rest of us and help us to see the places where we, too, can serve our fellow man. God bless you all.
Sermon preached by the Rev. Christian M. Wood
Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota, Florida
Veterans Sunday
10 November 2019