From Lamar Hunt

THE MEANING OF THE STONES.

Stonehenge
South of London, where hwy A360 intersects with A303, 8 miles North of Salisbury, just west of the river Avon, is an awesome sight. Stonehenge.
A horseshoe formation of 30 huge upright stones, weighing up to 50 tons each, completed around 1500 BC; an engineering feat that would challenge modern technology.
No one knows who built Stonehenge nor what it means.

The stones remain but the meaning is lost.


The Gilgal Stones
When Joshua lead the Children of Israel across Jordan, and into the promised land, a stone from each of the 12 tribes was placed in a heap at Gilgal, a tiny village near Jericho.
He explained his reason for erecting the monument (Joshua 4:21-24)

“When your children ask their fathers in times to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan (River) on dry land…as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea…that all the peoples of the earth may…fear the Lord your God forever.’ ”

The stones have long since been scattered by the forces of nature. Neither will you find the village of Gilgal. It no longer exists.

The stones are gone but the meaning remains. Why? Because succeeding generations taught the meaning of the stones.

Headstones

There are over 2 ½ million head stones that mark the graves of American Veterans. 124,909 of them are on foreign soil.

Those sacred sentinels speak to us.

These stones speak of Courage.
Like the courage shown by Major Pat Brady, who wore out three Huey choppers rescuing 51 seriously injured soldiers in one day, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his sacrifice. I served with then MG Brady in Sixth Army in the 1990s.

These stones speak of Duty.
Because the heroes whose remains lie under these stones knew the meaning of citizenship, that nothing comes without obligation; that the nation that gave them their freedom had a right to ask that they take their turn against tyranny.

The stones speak of Honor, what we are, our character, our personal integrity.

When a prisoner of war, after surviving severe torture and near death, refused early release from the “Hanoi Hilton” because his Dad was an Admiral...honor! The voters of Arizona made him a US Senator.

The stones speak of Loyalty! I mean by that the loyalty that one G.I. has for another.
When a nineteen-year old machine gunner stood at the Chosin, on frozen feet, against a horde of Communist Chinese, firing his weapon until the barrel was red hot, so that his comrades could fall back and regroup; and stood there until Chinese Communists bullets cut him nearly in two...what do you call that? Loyalty? Courage? Duty? Honor?

All of the above!

The stones speak of sacrifice.
But sacrifice is not the end of our service. It is the beginning.
When a citizen puts on the uniform he commits his life, she commits her life, to country. That act, and the oath he or she swears, is the promise of the gift.
And it is a gift, not a loss!
So never speak of an American service man or woman losing his or her life. There is a difference in losing something and giving it.
I thank God that I was never called upon to give that gift, but I committed to it, as did every service man and woman, if it became my portion, when I chose to put on the uniform.

In his Inaugural Address, President John Kennedy (January 20, 1961): Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall
​pay any price,
​bear any burden,
​meet any hardship,
​support any friend,
oppose any foe,
​to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

​It is America’s military veterans who have paid the price, borne the burdens, and met the hardships to assure the survival and the success of liberty. And it their successors, America’s young men and women in uniform that are paying that price today.

We must teach the meaning of the stones.

Duty
Courage
Honor
Loyalty
Sacrifice.

​I can’t end without talking about one more stone, the Stone that was rolled away. What does the resurrection of Jesus mean?
​-
​- That God accepted and approved all that Jesus did and taught.
​- Jesus is Lord!
​- Our salvation, through faith in the living Jesus, is secure.
​- Our own physical resurrection is guaranteed.
​- As Jesus said, (John 14: 19) Because I live you will also live!​
​​Amen!
​- Thank you, pastor and church leadership, for conducting this wonderful worship experience in honor of our fallen heroes.