It’s not really a holiday, it is more of a day for remembering. June 14th, is Flag Day. I remember as a boy in grade school we began every day standing, facing the flag, putting our hands over our hearts, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. After we would sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” our national anthem. We learned about the symbolism of the flag. The color red, symbolized the valor, the bravery, and the sacrifices that were made for this country. The white, symbolized the purity of freedom while the blue symbolized faithfulness and justice. Each star represented one of the states of the Union and the thirteen red and white stripes stood for the original thirteen colonies. 

Now, no one is suggesting that flag symbolizes the perfection of the nation, it symbolizes what we as a nation should strive to be. Has there always been freedom and justice? Of course not. Has there always been purity and freedom? Of course not. No country is perfect, but the flag symbolizes what we should be aiming to become. So, this June 14th, take a moment and ponder where this nation has come from and where we as a nation should be going. 

There is another symbol that is indeed the most perfect symbol of all and this is the cross. The cross symbolizes love. We say, “I love my spouse,” “I love my children,” “I love my dog,” “I love the Cubs.” The reality is that those represent four different kinds of love. In the Greek language, there are many words that describe differ types of love. Eros describes the love between husband and wife. Philios describes love between siblings and friends. Storge describes parental love. 

Then there is agape. A love which is given because loving is noble, the perfect thing to do. It is not a love which is based on emotion. It is a love which is given even if no love is returned. The cross is the perfect symbol of agape; “willful act of sacrificial love.” Agape counts the cost and even though that love may be death, it goes ahead and loves. No where is agape love better summarized than in John 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in him would not parish, but have eternal life.” 

When you look at the cross don’t see an instrument of death, rather see it as the perfect symbol of God’s agape for you.

Veritas - Curt