Restoring Honor Rally

Attending the Return to Honor Rally in Washington, D.C. yesterday will go down in my journal as one of those life experiences that leaves a lasting imprint on my soul, strengthening my convictions and inspiring me to do better and be better.

The event was promoted as a non-partisan, non-political event and it was just that. It was a time of celebrating America’s heroes, heritage and future. The event opened and closed with prayer and featured speakers, three merit award winners and music.

There’s so much to share about the event so I’m going to divide this post into sections to make it more readable. Thanks for indulging me. I usually like to keep my posts on the shorter side, but this one is definitely not short!

The People Attending

Have you ever felt at home in a large public gathering? I hadn’t… until yesterday. The people attending the Rally were the kind of people you’d want for your neighbors – pleasant, polite, helpful and God-fearing. They included a diverse range of ages, races and religions. I saw families with young children, teenagers, college students, veterans, grandparents, great grandparents, immigrants and single individuals who traveled solo to stand up for the values and principles the country was founded on.

As an example of the type of people who attended, consider that my mom, sister and I were stuffed in the Foggy Bottom metro station like sardines with hundreds of others trying to exit for nearly an hour. The station was hot with no moving air, literally taking passengers an hour to get from the train platform to outside of the station.

In situations like this, one would expect to hear foul language and complaining and to see some passengers cutting off others in an effort to get themselves out as quickly as possible. Instead, people were pleasant and polite, getting to know the people they were standing shoulder to shoulder with. One woman we met was an immigrant from Yugoslavia who came to the US in the 1960s and said she hardly recognizes the country she immigrated to decades ago.

Every several minutes, word would come forward from farther back in the station that a passenger was trying to get to work and was late due to the crowds. Somehow, when it didn’t seem like there was any more room to move, a small divide would and open and the person trying to get to work would be able to pass to the front to exit next.

My cousins, who traveled through the same stop earlier that morning, reported that the passengers spontaneously erupted in singing the Star Spangled Banner as they worked toward the exit. These are the kind of people who attended the Rally and the type of people I’d want my kids to be around if they were stuck in a station.

As another example of the type of people who attended, one need not look further than to the ground where hundreds of thousands of people sat and stood for hours on end. After the event, the grass was virtually spotless, free of trash and empty water bottles. I’ve never seen so many people pick up after themselves after an event.

The Message

Most Americans agree that our country is in trouble, times are tough and the path forward is uncertain. The debate in our country is really about what to do about it. For those attending the rally, they heard that the answer is to restore honor, and that by restoring honor, our country will also be restored. The answer lies in the individual – in individuals restoring honor in their own lives by turning toward God.

As individuals seek after faith, hope and charity, our country can undergo a fundamental transformation for good.

• Faith – Exercise faith in God. Know who you are and why you are here. Let your children see you pray.

• Hope – Hope comes from truth and truth will set us free. Be honest with your self and remove the lies from your life.

• Charity – Charity begins at home. Spend more time with your children, charity starts there.
  

I thought I was at a worship service more than once during the event because there were so many references to God and to turning toward Him, our Creator.

The highlight for me was listening to the inspirational words of Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King. The audience was captivated by her words. Despite the numberless crowds, it was silent while she spoke. It was so quiet, in fact, that we could actually hear babies crying and phones ringing.

She spoke of her Uncle Martin's dream and reminded us that "we all are members of ONE race -- the human race" and that others should "be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin." She said if MLK could speak to us today he would remind us that "we are called to honor God and love each other."

These are the same messages that have been delivered since the beginning of time -- Turn toward God, show your love for Him by serving His children and you will prosper.

The Numbers

The question of exactly how many people showed up to the memorial on Saturday is what everyone would like to know. We saw balloons armed with cameras floating over the mall, taking photos so that the exact number can be calculated. Most media outlets seem to be totally low-balling the estimates.

I am no mathematician, but I can tell you that I saw with my own eyes the Lincoln Memorial, both sides of the reflecting pool down to the Washington Memorial AND beyond completely dotted with people. I’d estimate about 500,000 people in attendance. It was wall-to-wall people almost everywhere.

The Take-Aways

My post-event self is more resolved, more clear, more introspective and more determined to do good. The big take-away for me is that the messages and the feelings of the rally can’t just go down on paper as a great historic event. The messages and feelings must be translated into long-term, consistent actions -- a part of everyday life.

And so, I’m going to spend the next several weeks coming up with my own personal plan for faith, hope and charity. I invite any of my friends and family who are interested, to do the same. In fact, having written down my desire to come up with a plan will help keep me honest when the days get busy and I feel too tired to do “one more thing.”

History will look back in 25 years and acknowledge that Saturday, August 28^th, 2010 was a pivot point for the people of America, the turning point where honor began to be restored.