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REMEMBRANCE DAY- A TIME TO REFLECT

Friday November 11 is a day to remember/honour the pride and sorrow of those men and women that gave their lives in two great wars that we the living may have peace and freedom. At this time there are only a few precious Allied veterans of the First World War who are still alive. Too soon they will be but a faint memory.

To-day in every city, hamlet of our great country we stand in silence. Is it is too much to give thanks? A moment in our busy day to pause to reflect on the past can seem like an eternity.

Remembrance of the sorrow that excessive wars has cost Canadians is painful. Now think about it; only two minutes of silence. But there is enough time for each of us to find a new resolve in his/her own way to pray for peace. A peace justly forged by men and nations of good will to strive for a better world. To-day we remember those who gave up their lives for us.

November 11, 1918 was the end of the first World War. To-day many years later we are honouring the fallen not of one war but of two terrible catastrophic conflicts.
The victorious Allies rejoiced in the thought that they had not just merely beaten their enemies but had banished war for all time. The frightful slaughter of the “Great War” they thought had proved that modern warfare was too horrible, too costly, in lives and resources for us to contemplate.

People of the world they thought would gladly join together to build a barrier against future outbreaks of this scourge. Sadly, this has been a vain hope of the young soldiers who fought for a better to-morrow.
John McCrae, author of “In Flanders Fields, reminds us that:’If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’

The world has born witness to conflict in Korea, Vietnam, Middle East, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, & Iraq. Literally thousands of lives have been wasted. Whole generations of youth have had their lives/futures torn asunder by the ravages of war.

It is the tenth anniversary of the infamous date, 9/11, where 3,000 innocent lives were snuffed out in an instant at the World Trade Centre in New York City. Death and destruction doesn’t just happen someplace else. No one is immune, there are no safe harbours to hide from man’s inhumanity to man.

When will we learn to live with our fellow man in peace and harmony respecting and enjoying the uniqueness of others? Division over colour, religion, nationality, politics deprives mankind of peace. We are all God’s children and in His eyes we are all equal.

A prayer for peace seems in order:

“May we see the day when war and bloodshed cease, when a great peace will embrace the whole world.

Then nation will not threaten nation and mankind will not again know war.

For all who live on earth shall realize we have not come into being to hate or to destroy.

We have come into being to praise, to labour and to love.
Compassionate God, bless the leaders of all nations with the power of compassion.”

Let us say:Amen.

Len Lesser