Today on 96 WHNN, radio hosts Johnny Burke and Blondie had a young girl from Caseville on the morning show.  They are in the Thumb today celebrating Veterans Day, and this child who attends a Lutheran pre-school sang the National Anthem.  Her grandmother told Johnny and Blondie the youngster recently sang at MSU.  Thinking of a football game or some such, the hosts responded with some astonishment.  Turns out she sang at the 4-H LlamaFest at the MSU Pavilion.

That's not exactly Carnegie Hall.

Nevertheless, this morning she sang the national anthem on air admirably.  Fact is, she sang it.  She didn't perform it or stage it.  She simply sang the anthem of our land letting words speak for themselves.  No embellishment.  No embroidery.  No showcasing of vocal skills to demonstrate how many staccato notes she could cram into one measure of "land of the free."  Don't you get tired of soloists who feel compelled, as if by a calling from God, to make themselves larger than the message they bear?

Today is the baptism anniversary of Martin Luther.  He was named Martin because he was baptized on St. Martin of Tours Day, 1483.  He was given a name, not because it was impressive or prominent, but because it was churchly.  A name was given to you.  You didn't make a name for yourself.  More than that, you were given the name of Christ in baptism.  That's not a name you earn.  It is given to you.

We live in an age of obscene self-glorification: children thrust into baby beauty pageants; fathers talking about their son's sports careers before they are weaned; microphones the new elevator to fame.  Children are enjoined to make a name for themselves and are indoctrinated into a culture where success is the highest virtue worth having.  Role models are not someone like Martin of Tours who was "Christ's soldier." and is remembered for his simple life and determination to share the Gospel.  No, role models are Hanna Montana for her money and fame or Tom Brady for his rings and babes.

The great dream is to "be somebody" or one day have others drool over your "crib."  If you don't know what that means, you may be among the endangered species of those who sing along with the national anthem, consider it a privilege just to be an American, and want Veterans Day to be about veterans rather than a photo op for big-shots.

For us as Christians, the object is not to grow up but to grow down.  All around us are those who want kids to escape childhood, to become shoppers as soon as possible, to carve early their own identity through buying habits and being a hit.

Christians sees it quite differently.  The more we become a child, the better.  The goal is not success but submission.  The aspiration is not to become independent of but ever more reliant upon Christ.  Ambition is not to make a new name for ourselves but to hold dear the name given us in our baptism.  To the world this is crazy.

What little child can boast accomplishments?  What newly born infant has a talent for anything except pooping?  Does one go to a child for their expertise or proficiency in anything?  Do presidents confer with toddlers?  Did the Supreme Court consult babies before they rendered the Roe vs. Wade decision?  No.

Yet this is what we seek to be: babies who come with no affectation, no boasting or showmanship; children who lisp the name Jesus as naturally as a baby burbles or coos.  Little ones who sing "Jesus loves me" from sheer trust in its truth than for the clapping it may earn from misguided adults who say, "Oh, how cute," instead of "Oh, how blessed it is that I too might sing, '... He who died, heaven's gates to open wide.  He will wash away my sin, let his little child come in.'"

When Martin Luther was baptized, no one knew he would become the lion of the Reformation.  If ever there was someone who could boast a stratospheric intellect, celebrity, and achievement, it was Luther.  Eight years ago he was fêted as one of the three most influential human beings of the last millennium.

But Luther never sought to be larger than the message of the Gospel.  He would rather have been invisible, unremembered, and nothing, if only the message of Christ would be evident, remembered and everything.  Every day he returned to the simple catechism that he might in all simplicity and without any disputing be a child who believes that God is gracious through His Son, Jesus Christ and there is an eternal life.

This Veterans Day is not the day to roll out the musical gymnastics and have an impressive rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" by this year's American Idol winner.  It is a day for the unpretentious child to sing the anthem lyrics, "our flag was still there."

Moreso for us who are Christians on this Martin of Tours Day, let us aspire no higher objective than to be what we already have been named in our baptism to be: the Christian child of God, dependent, trusting, artless in our confession, and unquestioning of the grace and goodness of our Savior.

We don't have to make a name for ourselves.  We've been given His.