November 7, 2021 – Remembrance Day (& Memorial)

Coming to terms with the reality of God bringing peace to the whole world, and our need to remember those from around the globe who offered themselves in loving sacrifice.

Let us pray.  Almighty God, we give you thanks for your presence in this time and place, and within each one of us.  Help us now to open our minds, our hearts, our whole lives, to receive the gift of your living Word for us this day.  And may the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

This is a challenging day – in many ways.  The more one tries to move beyond simply considering a piece – a fragment – of this world, for instance, the country of Canada, and its past and present and future, the more difficult it becomes.  Let me open that up for us.

This is the 100th anniversary of the poppy in Canada – a symbol of the sacrifice of those who fought in World War 1 – referred to as The Great War – the war to end such global conflicts.  The human carnage of that war was unbelievable – hundreds of thousands of lives lost or forever damaged.  And yet, within two decades, the nations of the world were at war again.  Hostilities ceased six years later but at a horrific cost to peoples around the world.

While there have not been wars on the same scale since that time, the Canadian Armed Forces have been sent into military roles in many part of the world – and most recently in Afghanistan.  And now, with the one they formerly considered their enemy – the Taliban – in control of Afghanistan, many struggle trying to see any purpose to the sacrifice our forces made in the last two decades.

So what to do?  One might begin by considering our local fragment of this world – Canada.  And with solemnity and gratitude we can give thanks for our Armed Forces – for their willingness to sacrifice their lives to preserve our way of life.  We owe them a debt of gratitude, and we must never forget!

But then, we try to look more broadly and consider other fragments of this world – the societies and peoples not directly involved in these conflicts, who have had their lives completely uprooted – in many cases even taken from them – because of others fighting wars on their lands.  How do they fit in to today?

And then, the most difficult – what about those fragments of the world, that we, at least for a time, called our “enemies” – whom we made every effort to beat down, if not wipe out?  As we try to bring these fragments together, what result is it that we must come to?  How do we reconcile those fragments and bring them into the whole – into one global picture of our world – of humanity?

The word ‘peace’ is what comes to mind – and comes to our lips.  For those who consider themselves part of the People of God, the word ‘peace’ has deep, special, and divine significance. 

In today’s First Reading from the Prophet Micah, spoken about 2,700 years ago, Israel and Judah were ravaged by hostile neighbours.  Israel had been conquered.  People were being deported.  Judah was under threat.  The prophet shares a vision of peace for the future.  It is God, and God’s wisdom, God’s Word, and God’s power that will bring it about.  He speaks these words, “For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more …”  It is God who will bring about that lasting peace – among nations but also among peoples.  Notice the beautiful description the prophet speaks, “; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid …”

Then, in the Second Reading, from the Letter to the Ephesians, written about 2,000 years ago, the expanding Church – the Christian community – is looking for peace within itself – to heal the hostility and alienation that it’s experiencing between the Jewish and non-Jewish (Gentile) disciples of Jesus Christ.  The Letter’s author points out that the healing power of Jesus Christ – his sacrifice and his victory over death – has accomplished this peace – this unity in the midst of diverse humanity.  He writes these words, “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us … that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.”

In these past 2,000 years Christians, and all the great world religions, have seen God as the source of true peace.  So clearly today, we open ourselves in repentance and humility to God – asking for grace and wisdom to seek the peace that God desires for the whole world.  And to do all in our power to avoid hostile conflict, and seek loving and just reconciliation.

So what, and whom, are we rightfully remembering today?  We are remembering all of those who, in loving intention, offered their lives for others – regardless of their nationality or country.  And we particularly remember those whose sacrifice was for us – for our country, and for our way of life.

And in our memorial observance of those we’ve lost recently during this pandemic, we are remembering their love for us – how they blessed and enriched our lives.

And finally – what about the future?  Where does the path to true peace lie?  The final words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Reading point the way.  He says, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”  We don’t yet know how all these pieces – of our lives – or of the fragments of the world - will fit together in order to bring everlasting peace.  But we do know the One whose grace and power will accomplish it – in God’s way and in God’s time. 

Christ has conquered the world!  As we remember and give thanks today, we know the design of God’s great love will bring us God’s peace.

Amen.