Sunday, July 08, 2018
Sunday Reflection: Afterburners
Yesterday, I went to the air show up in Duluth, where stunt planes and fighter jets did all kinds of crazy things. There were two things that struck me.
One was that, like so many other public events, the repeated theme of nearly every act was "a salute to the military" in one form or another. Eventually, if we honor one sector of our society over all others as singularly valorous, it will come to define our culture. There are nations like that-- North Korea is one-- but the United States has not been one of them. I fear that constantly wreathing the military with indiscriminate honors will make us less thoughtful about war and all that comes with it, while at the same time it diminishes the meaning of any genuine tribute.
The second was this singular moment: The Air Force Thunderbirds were performing, and four of them were executing an elegant and remarkable diamond formation as they traveled straight up, in front of and to the left of the crowd on the flightline. As we all were looking in that direction, a fifth jet came in unseen-- fast and low directly over the crowd from behind-- and the sound and realization of it made everyone jump. That happens, over and over, doesn't it? We are looking at something, admiring it from afar and BOOM... something else, close but unobserved, explodes into view.
Today, I am giving a sermon, and an important one. I'll report back on that later...
One was that, like so many other public events, the repeated theme of nearly every act was "a salute to the military" in one form or another. Eventually, if we honor one sector of our society over all others as singularly valorous, it will come to define our culture. There are nations like that-- North Korea is one-- but the United States has not been one of them. I fear that constantly wreathing the military with indiscriminate honors will make us less thoughtful about war and all that comes with it, while at the same time it diminishes the meaning of any genuine tribute.
The second was this singular moment: The Air Force Thunderbirds were performing, and four of them were executing an elegant and remarkable diamond formation as they traveled straight up, in front of and to the left of the crowd on the flightline. As we all were looking in that direction, a fifth jet came in unseen-- fast and low directly over the crowd from behind-- and the sound and realization of it made everyone jump. That happens, over and over, doesn't it? We are looking at something, admiring it from afar and BOOM... something else, close but unobserved, explodes into view.
Today, I am giving a sermon, and an important one. I'll report back on that later...
