November – Falling leaves and Falling Poppies

Sunday, the eight, of November, sees us mark Remembrance Day once more.

This year, along with those who live to mourn the loss of those who gave their lives in the World Wars and other later conflicts. We will remember the one hundred and seventy nine members of the British forces who lost their lives in Iraq; The Two Hundred and twenty one who have so far died on operations in Afghanistan, with almost one hundred of these being in the past twelve months, and will remember along with the dead those who returned, and continue to return, injured and damaged.

It is also a day to remember those whose lives have been changed, often irreversibly, by conflict. A day to think not only of those who marched away, but also those who sent them then (and now) and who waited (and wait now) for the return of their loved ones from conflict.

Remembrance Day comes in for a degree of flak from some quarters because it is seem by some of glorifying conflict and ‘honouring war’ but this is not so. Some wish to change the poppy from white to red, and to make political or other points and yet this is not the place nor the right of those who wish to do so.

In John 15: 13, Jesus spoke these words:

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Today we have the freedom to ignore the very values and standards that many men and women over the years have given their lives for (by death, blindness, loss of limbs and mental affliction) in conflict, to protect our freedom and rights. The reality of Remembrance Day is mirrored in the words of the Kohima Epitaph:

"When you go home, tell them of us and say, 
for their tomorrow, we gave our today"

I pray that as we come to this Remembrance Day that you will not only be present at the Town’s cenotaph (or another if away) but will make a truth of the fact that a person does not truly die if their name is not forgotten – We have our today, living as we choose because men and women have, and continue to lay down their lives:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 

We will remember them.                                               For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon

Please pray for:

Those who serve throughout the world seeking to bring peace and provide aid.

Those who have lost loved ones in conflict - in and out for uniform!

Those who return scarred and broken, limbs, sight or mind damaged or gone!

Those who work at the RCDM, Selly Oak, caring for those who return from conflicts.

The peace of the world, that justice, equity and peace will come to us and the nations of the World.