Daily Reflection
St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
May 25, 2020
Dear St. John's Community,

Last night my family watched the Memorial Day concert on PBS. The producers did a very good job overcoming the challenges of physical distancing to make the concert feel live and engaging. What I appreciated most of all was the storytelling. We learned the stories of inspiring individuals who sacrificed safety, comfort and even their lives in acts of selfless courage. What brought tears to all our eyes were the images of family members greeting their loved ones when they got home, or grieving at the graves of those who did not get to return.  

A human life is of infinite value. We are called to not merely value life, but to value  lives . (Life can be listed out in numbers, but lives have names. And we need the latter to properly value the former.)

Each of those seemingly countless white graves at Arlington has a name written on it. The nearly 100,000 who have died from covid likewise have names. It was breathtaking to see them listed out in the New York Times this weekend.

Likewise, those who are acting heroically to protect others on the front lines of healthcare right now, or in other work that puts them in the way of harm, should be remembered and celebrated. (I was so glad to see that the Memorial Day Concert did not forget them last night.)

Certainly other names need to be remembered—names like Ahmaud and Breonna—who are also more than statistics, and in whose memory I pray we can fight to make our country safe for all people, regardless of skin tone.

We are all precious in God’s sight, and I believe God is grieving right now, not merely for the lives being lost in such great numbers in our country, but also for the way we are falling further into division.

The way out, I believe, is to reclaim a sense of value for the lives of one another in the radical sense that Jesus taught us. We should take the opportunity on this day, which we experience in the middle of a global crisis, and say the names and tell the stories of all those who need to be remembered. I pray that in honoring their memory we will ensure that they did not die in vain.

God's peace,
Rob+

(Photo by Katherine Grace / Unsplash)

Yesterday's service is available here. Experience it again, or for the first time, and share it with friends and loves ones!

***

How to help, or how to get help. During this difficult time, St. John's is looking to connect people in need of assistance with those who are able to help. If you fall into either category, please visit this  link or send an e-mail to  help@stjohns-dc.org with your name, contact information, and details of the type of support you can give or the support you need. And to get involved in any of our ongoing local outreach ministries, which are in special need curing this time, you may click here .
Want to share these messages with a friend? Anybody can sign up to receive these emails, which will be sent to the same list as our weekly eNewsletter The Word , by clicking here .
Stay connected with St. John's Church on social media!
St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
1525 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 347-8766