A date that will live in infamy
December 7, 2010 (Tuesday)
I cannot look at the calendar today without hearing in my mind the voice of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as he spoke to Congress: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy…” (See and hear it here).
Actually, there had been much talk of America’s involvement in war with Germany for several years. I’m sure there had been suspicions that Japan might act against us, but our nation seemed to be caught totally by surprise when Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked, severely crippling our naval forces and killing thousands.
And so it began, World War 2. The fighting would go on for nearly four years, resulting in millions of deaths around the world.
If you were asked, how many wars has the United States fought, what would be your answer. Well, I looked it up, and, if you consider every kind of conflict as one of them, beginning with the American Revolution, our country has been involved in more than 50 conflicts of various kinds, not all of them being called, “wars,” but resulting in conflict and death just the same. Click here for a list.
As I write this today, millions of people are praying for our military people who are in foreign countries, in harm’s way, loyally serving their country.
Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of war” (Matthew 24:6). Spoken more than two thousand years ago, those words have proved to be prophetic. Our Sunday School teacher asked last Sunday, “If you could be granted one wish, what would it be?” Several people answered, “Peace in the world.” This indeed is our heart’s cry.
We will hear the Christmas story of Luke 2 this month, hopefully more than once. We treasure the song of the angels in verse 14, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”