Last Saturday, we attended the funeral of an exceptional man who died early and unexpectedly. I talked about him on this blog earlier in the week. Today I want to tell you about an amazing group of individuals who stood guard outside the church that day in a show of respect for the young man and his family.
The Patriot Guard Riders represent the best in selfless compassion. They give of their time, sometimes driving for hours, to stand guard at military funerals, ensuring the dignity and respect due those who have risked their lives for America's freedom and security. As I understand it, the group formed partially to counter the efforts of insensitive* individuals who disrupted military funerals with anti-war protests.
I'm reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, wise words--often quoted.
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
*Surely in a free country, there's a time and a place for expressing anti-war sentiments. But the time is NOT at the funerals of those who died defending their country. The place is NOT in front of heartbroken relatives of that soldier.
For more about the Patriot Guard Riders, visit their website. www.patriotguard.org
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