Remembrance

This morning I broke with my normal Sunday morning habit and rather than attend my usual Church service I went to a local remembrance service, and was a little surprised to find that it was Vicar from my Church who was conducting the service.

There was a good turn out, with members of uniformed groups, cadets, scouts, guides etc. a decent band from one of the local schools, a piper. and of course local dignitaries. I noticed quita a few younger people sporting medals, I don't know whether they themselves recently served, or maybe they were wearing medals won by their parents, something I know happens, but find it difficult to approve of.   The ceremony around the act of remembrance is very much a Christian one, and in my own mind I was quite certain that the majority of attendees probably hadn't been to a church since Easter, or maybe last Christmas.

I am all in favour of remembrance, indeed virtually every year of my life I have either attended or played at a remembrance service, however I worry a little that there does seem to be an increasing element of jingoism. A celebration of Victories won, rather than a remembrance of lives lost.   We remember so that we can avoid repeating, remembrance without action is meaningless.

I pray that our leaders will remember the lives lost and concentrate their efforts on ensuring that they were not lost in vain, and that every effort will go into making sure we do not travel the same road again.

I wrote this yesterday, Sunday the 8th November, but technical problems with my computer stopped me posting it then.