Unknown

This week I’m attending the Metro Media Ministers Association annual meeting which is in Franklin, TN. This is an amazing group of creative and technical guys who are using media to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tonight we ate dinner at and toured the Carnton House Plantation near the historic site of the Battle of Franklin. One of the historians gave us a detailed description of the Battle of Franklin and of the McGavock family’s role in the Civil War. Their home (the Carnton House) was used as a field hospital. In fact, several of the rooms still have blood stained floors.

Outside the house, next to their family cemetery, is a 2-acre plot of land that they donated to use as a soldier’s cemetery. Around 1,500 soldiers are buried there.

Now, I’m not one who typically strolls through cemeteries. But tonight I decided to do so. There were rows and rows of small concrete grave markers. Near the center of the cemetery I saw a grave marker that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “This section contains 15 unknown”.

“Unknown”.

These men died in battle, yet they were unknown. They fought for freedom, yet they were unknown. They couldn’t be identified by their appearance...their clothes...their scars...anything. They were “unknown”.

Matthew 7:21-23 says, “"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me you lawbreakers!”

“I never knew you!”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be unknown by the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God.

I want Him to know me...for my faithfulness...for my obedience...for my desire to see His kingdom come and His will be done...for my compassion...for my humbleness...for my love....I want Him to know me.

It was sad to see that these men were buried without being identified. But it completely breaks my heart to know that there are so many more out there who are “unknown” to our Savior.