The price of liberty

On Monday, America celebrates Memorial Day. But in the midst of the BBQs, parades, watermelons, and family vacations, it can be easy to forget what this day is truly about.

Since the first “shot heard ’round the world” that marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, hundreds of thousands of courageous men and women have given their lives to secure the freedom we enjoy in the United States of America. They were fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters—men and women from all different backgrounds, places, families, and ethnicities. They all, however, have one thing in common: they made the ultimate sacrifice.

This is the price of liberty.

Today, as we watch the parades and perhaps take a walk through a nearby cemetery and see the flags at the graves of our nation’s soldiers and veterans, we remember their sacrifice.

But we should more than just remember their sacrifice. We should honor them by understanding the freedom they fought for and doing our part to protect it.

The United States of America was founded with a radically different model than most governments of the late 1700’s. It was an experiment in self-government. Benjamin Franklin famously quipped to a passerby that the founders had established was “a Republic, if you can keep it.”

At LEAD each year, we equip and empower teens to understand their government and honor those who have died for our country by carrying the torch of liberty for generations to come while understanding their role not just as a citizen of the United States, but as an ambassador for Christ. If you want to make an impact in the lives of teenagers you know, please consider sending them to LEAD this summer.

Take some time away from the festivities this Memorial Day to remember our fallen heroes… and honor their sacrifice.

Freedom isn’t free.