Christ Church, Morningside. Remembrance Sunday 2006

A reflection for

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is a day when words seem so inadequate to express the feelings in our hearts as we keep our promise to remember those men and women of the first and second world wars who gave their lives that we might be free. The poppies we wear speak of grief, of honour and of commitment. Grief for the thousands upon thousands who went into war as lambs to the slaughter; grief for the women and children they left widowed and fatherless and grief for ourselves whose minds and spirits have been indelibly marked by their absence.

    we will remember them.

But that deep pool of grief is strangely tinged with a measure of pride as we honour those who served loyally, who fought for what they considered right and good, who stood together and supported each other through the nightmare of it all and who gave of their present that we might have a future.
    we will remember them.

And finally our poppies express our commitment not only to grieve and honour those we personally have lost, but to do everything in our power to ensure that no mother anywhere on this earth should ever receive the awful news of a son’s death, no wife be left a widow,

no child grow up fatherless as a result of war. For unless our grieving for what happened in the past and our honouring of our own loved ones opens our hearts to those whose lives continue to be torn apart in warfare today, our remembering will be empty and soon undone by our extraordinary ability to forget that we also promised –
    never again.

For those who believe in Jesus, the last word on Remembrance Sunday is not death but Life. In the reading of His word and around His holy table, we remember that a child is born for us, a Son is given to us. His coming brings light to those enveloped by darkness. His birth gives freedom to those who live under the rod of oppression. His love turns hearts once bent on cruelty towards all that is true, honourable, just and pure. His spirit is our Advocate and brings back to remembrance what we choose to forget. His presence disarms all those who take up weapons with a peace that this world will never be able to give. In grieving our loved ones, in honouring their memory and in our commitment to a peaceful future,
    we will remember Him.

 Michael Paterson

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