Remembrance Sunday

Colossians 1.15-20
14 November 2010
Introduction

How’s you memory? Mine’s not so good these days!

I try to be organised by writing things down. But then I can’t read what
I’ve written.

Cartoon – Dave Walker

Today is Remembrance Sunday. To remember is, literally, to call

something to mind. It is an idea that has theological as well as practical
significance for Christians, not least because we regularly recall Christ’s
death.

Do this in remembrance of me

I don’t want to overplay the parallels…

c.f. O valiant hearts

Why remember on RS?

 I. Appreciation

We remember to say ‘thank you.

It’s a sermon I could preach for hours without pause. It’s a sermon that
preaches itself daily both in the obituary columns and the TV news

Amidst all the ambiguities and questions of war – and there are many –
there nevertheless remains a huge debt of thanks owed by the present
generation to those that have gone before it and by those not in the forces
to those who are in the forces. As we shall say in a little while

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them

And

When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today Kohima Epitaph

Video Clip
 II. Education

We remember. We also take time to learn the lessons.

History repeats itself.

Has to.
No one listens. Steve Turner

The lessons of war are numerous. Most obviously, try and avoid it, though
that isn’t always possible or desirable.

I want to mention two particular lessons

o A lesson in living

Giles Fraser quote

We saw it in the video clip

As Christians we talk about laying down our lives for others and living life
as a Christian does represent a challenge of sorts. But these men and
women actually do it.
o A lesson in human nature

It is easy, when you find yourself on one side in a conflict, to stereotype

those on the other. Perhaps that is the only way we can deal with it.

Things, however, are never as black and white as they seem.

Some names taken from the many involved in D Day…

John Hayesof the 6th Airborne Division involved in the glider assault on Pegasus
Bridge. Ken Adam an RAF fighter pilot involved in ground support operations

And two Commandos: George MacFranklyn killed on D-Day; and Ian Harris who
fought at the River Orne and awarded the Military Medal.

They all have one thing in common. Perhaps an incident in the life of William
Howard will give you a clue. He was in Naval Intelligence and assigned to a Cruiser
for the D-Day invasion. He was summoned to see the ship’s Captain, who asked
Howard

‘What do your duties consist of?’

‘Intercepting enemy radio transmissions in combat zones, Sir.’

‘So you are fluent in German?’

‘Aye, Aye, Sir.’

‘Where did you learn the language?’

‘At school, Sir’

‘Where was that?’

‘In Germany, Sir.’

‘But you are British?’

‘No, Sir.’
Perhaps I ought to read those five names again:

Wolfgang Wachsman, Airborne Division; Klaus Adam RAF the Commandos

Eugen Kagerer-Stein and Hans Hajos MM; and Horst Adolf Herzberg of Royal
Naval Intelligence. And I could add to that list, ten thousand times – German and
Austrian citizens who fought, not just for this country, but both for and against their
own. They were known collectively as ‘His Majesty’s Loyal Enemy Aliens’.

And those who do fight against us remain human beings and need to be
treated accordingly, even if they do not extend the same courtesy to us

c.f. waterboarding

Even more importantly, we are called to recognise this day the truth the
Solzhenitsyn

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it
were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the
line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being
 III. Inspiration

We live in a divided and broken world. Which is why as Christians, we

take time to remember, w take time to learn and we take time to pray.

Poster outside church

Is this some sort of pious dream or naïve fantasy? No, for Christians the
supreme battle has been fought and won.
19
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1.19-20

One of the most profound things Paul ever wrote – possibly in the process
coining a new word –

Of course, the reconciliation spoken of has not yet become a reality in

human experience, but as Christians it is surely our hope, prayer and life’s
work that it should. And that process begins right here today as we affirm
our commitment afresh to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace

Your kingdom come

Your will be done
In earth as it is in heaven