July 2, 2026 – Daily Devotional
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” -Matthew 6:9-10
The First World War was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. This war saw armies from around the world using new technology that would enable death on a horrific scale. Roughly 20 million people would die during WWI. Almost 9.7 million military personnel and over 10 million civilians would die from battle, starvation, disease, and the brutality of new weapons, such as poison gas. The United States would lose approximately 116,708 military personnel during this “war to end all wars.”
The loss of life was catastrophic. The size of this conflict made it difficult to keep up with the loss of soldiers, sailors, and civilians. Many of the numbers reported are estimates. At the end of the war, countries around the world were able to take stock in what they had lost during the Great War.
Because the loss of life was so great, many countries did not return their fallen servicemen home. This was especially true if the bodies could not immediately be identified. At the end of the war, New York Congressman and WWI veteran Hamilton Fish Jr. promoted legislation to bring home one of these unidentified heroes and have them placed in a special tomb at Arlington National Cemetery. This legislation passed, setting in motion both the creation of the tomb and the repatriation of the Unknown Soldier.
On November 11, 1921, the Unknown Soldier was welcomed home and placed in a temporary tomb until the final monument could be completed. This Unknown Soldier was received by President Warren G. Harding, many foreign dignitaries, and thousands of Americans who came to pay their respects as the Unknown Soldier was placed in the tomb. November 11, 1921, was Armistice Day. This day was set aside to honor the fallen of WWI. This was the third celebration of Armistice Day, which has now become Veterans Day. It was fitting that our Unknown Soldier would be honored on this day.
Fifteen years later, on July 2, 1937, a 24-hour honor guard was first posted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This duty is now performed by the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard.” Soldiers are hand-selected to serve as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Today, regardless of the time or the weather. This hallowed ground is guarded, and its sacred purpose kept.
When Hamilton Fish Jr. proposed the legislation that led to the creation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, he stated clearly that it should be a place of rest for an “American warrior who in himself represents no section, creed, or race in the late war and who typifies, moreover, the soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead.” That is indeed what this tomb, which now holds two additional soldiers (from World War 2 and the Korean War), represents.
When the Unknown Soldier was brought to the Arlington National Cemetery, President Warren G. Harding would speak. It was a powerful speech, and I commend it to you. Harding said, “On such an occasion as this, amid such a scene, our thoughts alternate between defenders living and defenders dead. A grateful Republic will be worthy of them both. Our part is to atone for the losses of heroic dead by making a better Republic for the living.” President Harding would end his time by inviting all present to join in the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer invites us into the depth of faith; seeking God’s provision, asking for and offering forgiveness, and striving to remove ourselves from what is evil and to move towards what is good and right, the kingdom of God on earth, just as it is in heaven.
This week we will all look back on the great history of our country and realize that we have much to celebrate and much to lament. As we look back, I hope we are encouraged to move forward in a way that lives up to the hopes we find in our faith. The world and the country in which we live are a gift. In gratitude, let us consider how we should live, so that we may make a better republic and a better world for all.
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
