Okinawa

Recently I have been watching the World War II documentary by Ken Burns called The War. It is an excellent, compelling look at America's involvement in the second World War. Tonight I learned about the battle on the little Pacific island of Okinawa. When all was said and done there, more than 12,000 American men were killed in the battle; more than 60,000 were wounded.

It takes a bit of time to stop and understand the immensity of what was sacrificed in just one battle. Being the age I am, I rarely think of death. I guess I assume that I'll get old and wrinkly someday, stay that way for a few decades, then die peacefully in my sleep. But I'm sure a lot of the men killed in WWII had the same idea before they found themselves in the theater of combat.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

A look at death is a sobering thing, and rightly so. But I think we ought to face up to our own mortality, with the hope that we will indeed realize our mortal state. Thus our need and desires for the eternal.