September 12th: A Full Mast Day
Driving down Willow Avenue towards the church building for work on a Thursday morning I saw something that made me pause and be thankful. It was a flag at full mast. The day before, our country had commemorated 9/11 and every flag was flown at half-mast. We were remembering and still mourning a terrible event that happened in America 18 years ago. There are certain days that will always be half-mast days.
Have you ever seen a flag at half-mast and not know why it had been lowered? If you have, then perhaps you found yourself quickly checking the news. This reminds me that oftentimes people are in mourning over things of which we are unaware. In local communities, flags will be lowered on days in which the rest of our nation has flags at the top of the pole. Because of the trials and struggles of life and the universal nature of those struggles, every day is a half-mast day for someone.
The circle of life is a reality preachers know well. Just last week I walked into the hospital for two reasons. I went to meet a new baby born into our church family, having moments before prayed with a family who was losing a member of theirs. A child of God both came into the world and left the world at that hospital last week. And on Saturday I entered the ER myself and was fighting for my life for a while. That is just how life goes sometimes.
Even as I sit here in my office and type this out on September 12th, I have reasons to set my flag at different heights on the pole. We had my father’s funeral services seven years ago on this day. My brother-in-law also celebrates a birthday today. Good and bad, they are always here. We have to accept them as they come. Such reflections were made in Scripture by Job, among others. These are the heartfelt testimonies of a people who possess a genuine faith in God.
But today, I think the flag at full mast was a reminder of the grace and goodness of our God. We can celebrate because we know that 9/11 was just one day, and that the events of that one day have not defined who we are and they have not limited our blessings. We are still a free people. We are still living in arguably the greatest nation in the world. More importantly, if we are Christians we are alive in an eternal kingdom and the spiritual blessings of forgiveness and mercy and joy and peace continually dwell in the castles of our hearts.
I want to tell you today not to be discouraged if you are having a half-mast day. Disappointments and setbacks in life are real and sometimes disabling, but we have a God who has intentions to raise our flag once the storms pass by. We have surety of it because he raised up his son on a cross for us at Calvary. His great love and intentions for us include the salvation of our souls and an everlasting residence in heaven where there will never be a reason for a flag to be lowered at any time. He is our flag at the top of the pole. He is our living hope and anchor for the soul.
“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
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AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
