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Today is Memorial day. It is a federal holiday that honors and mourns the U.S. Military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a day to celebrate America’s fallen heroes and to lament their loss.
Memorial Day Lament
O, valiant souls who stood to defend our land,
With hearts of courage, you took your stand.
From fields of verdant green to deserts bare,
You marched into battles, facing deaths stare.
Silent now are the drums that beat your path,
Echoes of valor swallowed by war’s wrath.
Your laughter, your dreams, now memories past,
In the annals of time, your legacy will last.
Gone are the days you looked upon the dawn,
The mornings of promise where hopes were drawn.
Your sacrifice, a testament to love so grand,
For the country, for freedom, you made your last stand.
We grieve for the moments stolen away,
The future you forfeited for our today.
Families weep, hearts heavy with sorrow,
In the void of your absence, seeking a brighter morrow.
O, brave defenders, rest now in peace,
From your mortal struggles, you find release.
In the quiet of the night, under the stars’ gaze,
We remember your courage, going into the fray.
May your spirits soar where pain cannot reach,
In fields of eternity, where God’s love does preach.
We honor your name, with tears and with pride,
For you are the heroes, forever our guide.
In the silence of our hearts, we whisper your name,
With gratitude profound, never to wane.
Though wars may cease and battles may end,
Your sacrifice and bravery, we will forever commend.
I have lived in Oaxaca, Mexico, for 19 years. Starting in February of this year, there has been bigger wildfires destroying forests and bringing suffering and death to many small mountain communities than I can remember. In February a huge fire burned the mountains in front of the home for needy children where I serve, and this last week a tremendous blaze burned for over a week in the hills behind the mission. Never seen anything on the size and scale of these infernos before. This seems to be a world wide trend according to recent headlines. This is lamentable.
Lament for the Destruction of Wildfires
O raging flames that devour the earth,
You who turn lush forests into barren wastelands,
Hear the cry of a wounded world,
Where beauty once flourished, now reduced to ash and ruin.
In the heart of the inferno, life perishes,
Wild creatures flee in terror, their homes engulfed.
Ancient trees, tall and proud, now stand no more,
Their whispers silenced by the roar of merciless fire.
O relentless blaze, why do you consume with such fury?
Why do you spread sorrow across the land?
Families weep for their lost homes,
Memories and treasures turned to dust.
The sky, once clear and blue, now chokes with smoke,
The air heavy with the scent of despair.
Communities are torn apart, neighbors scatter,
Seeking refuge from the relentless march of destruction.
We mourn the death of the innocent,
Lives taken too soon by your unyielding grip.
We grieve for the landscape, once vibrant and green,
Now a charred remnant of its former self.
O God, where is the solace in this fiery trial?
Where is the comfort in the face of such loss?
We lift our voices in lamentation,
Crying out for mercy, for healing, for peace.
Let the rains come to quench the flames,
To restore the land and renew the earth.
May new life spring forth from the ashes,
And hope rise from the devastation.
Hear our lament, O God of all creation,
Bring us strength to rebuild, to restore.
In the wake of fire, let your light shine,
Guiding us through the darkness, toward a brighter dawn.
Today is Mother’s day in many parts of the world. May 10th is when Mexico honors mothers. It’s a day when mothers are celebrated for their devotion, dedication, sacrifice and love for their children. Lamentably, many children in the world don’t have mothers like that. Here at the Home For Needy Children in Oaxaca, Mexico, we care for about 50 children who have mothers who are in prison, battle addictions, have mental challenges or who have simply abandoned their kids. There are children suffering the absence of a mother all over the world, and for them we lament.
Lament for Children Without a Mother in Their Life
Oh, tender souls with hearts so frail,
Whose mothers’ absence leaves a sad tale,
In shadows cast by addiction’s cruel chains,
Or prisons cold where hope hardly remains.
Mental storms that rage, unseen but deep,
Steal moments of love and in silence they creep,
For children left adrift, lost and alone,
Their cries echo in sad rooms, to most unknown.
Lament, oh lament, for the motherless ones,
Whose paths are marred by sorrows unsung,
In the void of care, in the ache of night,
May God’s true love bring healing light.
Abandoned by the ones they long to hold,
In tender arms, where warmth unfolds,
Their dreams entwined with longing’s thread,
Seeking solace in words that are left unsaid.
Oh, society, heed this cry so profound,
For every child lost, a world’s heart does pound,
Let compassion reign, let empathy guide,
In Christ’s nurturing arms, let these souls abide.
May futures bright emerge from shadows drear,
With love’s embrace, dispel every fear,
For every child suffering without a mother’s embrace,
May the Spirit’s kindness lead them to a brighter place.
May is AAPI month. AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islanders. It is a month to celebrate their achievements and culture. It’s also a time to remember some of the injustices they have suffered for over 200 years and to lament the way many of them were mistreated, especially during World War 2 when over 120,000 of them were interred in concentration camps throughout the United States. When I was younger I lived in California and remember talking to an older Japanese gardener who told me that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he and his family had been forced to leave their home and live in a concentration camp in the Nevada desert. Years later I visited one such camp in Wendover, Nevada. It was a sad time in the history of our country. It is something to lament.
Lament for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
In the hush of twilight’s lingering sigh,
Echoes a tale of anguish, a bitter cry.
Asian sons and daughters, marginalized, oppressed,
Their voices drowned in a world obsessed.
Racism’s venom, a poison deep,
Steals dreams, erases hope’s gentle sweep.
From exclusion’s door to slurs unkind,
Humanity’s dignity left behind.
Oh, Japanese internment’s haunting wail,
A chapter of history we cannot veil.
In barbed wire’s embrace, innocence confined,
Freedom’s light dimmed, justice maligned.
Yet, in the face of bigotry’s cruel thrust,
Courage rises, resilient and just.
For in the heart’s depth, a fire burns bright,
To fight for justice with unwavering might.
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The podcast No Small Endeavor currently has interviews with two Asian Americans who share unique stories of grief and hope, for those who would like to learn more.
To Enjoy God 