Of all the Tweets, it’s these two that truly break my heart. The first, as a citizen of the United States; the second, as a Christian.

The death of those we’ve lost in the service of our country are to be honored. Their families are to be thanked and prayed for. Their lives are to be remembered with the dignity they both demand and deserve.

The death of Jesus stands at the very heart of the Christian faith, as the atoning sacrifice for the life of the world. It is a day of pain and grief, emptiness and introspection.

Good Friday is tinged with sorrow, even as there is an underlying joy in knowing it leads to resurrection. Memorial Day is mournful, even as we revel in the freedoms that were paid at immense human cost.

In both Memorial Day and Good Friday, reside the ideal of sacrifice, of laying down one’s life for one’s friends. Empathy and compassion, grief and emptiness hold sway.

These are not exclamation point days. These are not self-aggrandizing days. They are days of self-emptying, oblation, solemnity, and profound gratitude. And it saddens me when these values are unduly trampled upon.