Remembrance

Born in the early fifties I was brought up with the greatest respect for our armed forces.  My father had served in the Second World War in the Navy on destroyers, including the Russian convoys, but would tell very little of his experiences, however as a family we would watch the Festival of Remembrance from the Albert Hall on television and we would attend the Royal Tournament, teaching the hard lesson of how our freedoms are defended. As Kipling wrote ‘All we have of freedom, all we use or know - This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.’ My contact with the services was confined to the Combined Cadet Force as a boy and subsequently as an Officer and this organisation proved significant in my son, Andrew’s, decision to join the Army. After University he attended Sandhurst and joined the Green Jackets (2 Rifles) and served in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. The Sandhurst motto is ‘Serve to Lead’ and this was the duty that Andrew felt called to fulfil; a number of his friends from Sandhurst were injured or killed doing the same. We were blessed that Andrew returned safely from each of his tours of duty.

 

The reality of active service reinforced recognition of the courage and dedication shown by those who serve and who are willing to lay down their lives in the service of freedom. Aaron Kilbourn wrote that ‘The dead soldier's silence sings our national anthem’ and there is clearly a danger that nationalism becomes the justification or the argument of a ‘noble cause’. As Christians we recognise the existence of evil which threatens us all and the peaceful, free society we are trying to develop. However there is always a tension between our belief in peace and the need to counter the very real threat and we recognise that at times that evil must be forcibly opposed, a justification lying way beyond narrow nationalism.

 

The sacrifices made over the last century have made it (perhaps too) easy for Christians in Britain to worship without fear of persecution, but the price of that freedom is still being paid and always brings us back to the ultimate sacrifice made for us by Christ. Remembrance Day has an extra poignancy, ‘In a two-minute silence, like three hours on a cross’ (Paul du Plessis). Even if we have not experienced a direct loss, as the Christian family we need to remember what our blessings have cost others.

 

We are not promised a life without trial, but with a trust in God we will be comforted and healed "Passing through the valley of weeping they make it a place of springing wells, the rain also covers it with pools" (Psalm. 84:6). Whilst "Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear" (Shakespeare) it is in praising God and surrendering to Him through Christ that we can truly make best use of the human freedoms so hard won.