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| Poppies_by_Benoit_Aubry_of_Ottawa |
Remembrance Day has always been an uncomfortable occasion for me.
It is not that I do not value those who have been willing to give their lives
for values that they believed in and that I believe in. In part, my discomfort stems from my choice
to be a convinced pacifist. The whole
idea of war and combat of any kind, I find abhorrent. Yet I know that others
are convinced there are times when there is no other alternative but armed
conflict. I am not in agreement with
them and my strongest argument I believe is the Cross of Christ. Instead of surrendering to death by
crucifixion, He had the option of calling all of the armies of heaven to His
defense and chose not to do so. Instead,
He willingly surrounded His life, with the words, Father forgive them, for they
know not what they do.
Despite my
convictions, I was not around when the First and Second World Wars began, those
conflicts that we usually remember on November 11th. I do not know ways they could have been
avoided. It appeared a few years ago
that the concept of Remembrance Day was dying out. Then things changed with the coming of the
war in Afghanistan. Once again, heroes received honours for their combat with
the forces that might deny others of their rights. The perpetual turning to arms, generation
after generation does remind me that the Bible is true when it says that our
hearts will constantly pursue evil.
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Field_to_salute.jpg |
In addition, I
have observed in people what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I saw this in relatives who survived the
Second World War and observed it in friends who survived Afghanistan. My husband, Glen understands something of
this firsthand from his visits to Afghanistan, where he discovered that waiting
around the next corner might be a suicide bomber. Although Glen goes there to
supervise the distribution of Canadian medicines that will improve the lives of
Afghan mothers and children, he is still vulnerable to acts of war.
How might I find
a way to resolve this internal conflict I have about war and remembrance? It is not likely that wars are going to
cease. It is equally unlikely that I
will be able to convince many people to become pacifists. The choice that remains for me is to do what
I am required to do when I find less than ideal situations in other areas of
life. I need to honour people for their
faithfulness to their convictions. I
need to be clear and respectful in sharing my own convictions and I need to
pray for the day when peace will come on earth.
That is how I plan to spend my two minutes of silence on this
Remembrance Day. What about you?
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| http://www.nostoneleftalone.ca/educate.shtml |
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| Word Guild Award 2011 |
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| Word Guild Award 2009 |
3 comments:
Thank you for your sensitivity and candour, Eleanor.
My father-in-law was a sergeant in WWII and served overseas, returning uninjured, although many of his comrades perished; likewise with my paternal grandfather (a corporal), who served in Europe in WWI.
My dad, however, became a committed Christian believer in 1938 and when WWII was declared he conscientiously objected on principle, expressing his willingness to serve in medics and non-combatant duties (he knew he'd fail the medical anyway, which he did). I'm not certain that I would have done the same. I narrowly missed the UK conscription. Thanks also for sharing about Glen's significant and potentially dangerous role in Afghanistan.
Oh, nearly forgot: I was honoured to lead a well-attended Remembrance service and observance in a retirement residence, yesterday. ~~+~~
One other factor for me, those who make the decision to send soliers into battle rarely suffer the dangers and consequences of the conflict.
So very true, Ian!
BTW: My, yours is such a great Scottish name. I'm sure you wear it well. :)
~~+~~
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