November 11 – Remember them

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” - Matthew 24:6.

“There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. Men will faint from fear and anxiety for what is coming on the earth and the heavens will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.…” - Luke 21:25.26

Jack and his pals Snowy and Joey marched with the rest of their troop – the Australian 1^st Light Horse Cavalry, along the road towards the city of Ypres as the battle of the Somme continued to escalate. Tired, exhausted and sick to the stomach at all the horrific atrocities they had witnessed, they marched relentlessly on, not knowing what lay ahead – would they themselves be the next victims?

Many of the troops had signed up underage, as had Jack, Snowy and Joey, swept up by the hysteria of the publicity scene and what they saw as an adventure. By the time their parents knew it was too late to intervene, and the boys were shipped to France. They would be heroes. They would save the world from tyranny. Instead they now faced the true reality of warfare....bodies blown apart....screams of wounded dying men, cryimg for their wives and mothers – calling on God to save them. The nauseating stench of death, explosives and smoke choking their burning lungs. Overhead, allied planes endeavoured to provide cover as they marched on towards Ypres. In the distance the whole sky over the city was glowing as it burned.

Jack recalled his first sight of the Hall. Ssilhouetted in the flames against the night sky, was a cross, standing high and defiant against all the evidence uf man's inhumanity to man....a symbol of hope and promise.

The war on the Somme continued to escalate and at it's height Joey was killed as he and Jack fought side by side. Snowy was injured and weeks later Jack received a serious life threatening bayonet wound to his left side, and a bullet in his neck. In a Paris military hospital Jack and his pal Snowy were reunited.

As I write this blog, BBC TV is presenting the Festival of Remembrance to mark the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War One, the so-called 'War To End All wars' - a war that would herald lasting peace, understanding, and tolerance between all nations of the world. In truth peace reigned for only twenty years before the outbreak of World War Two wnich followed – meaningless slaughter of generations of our youth...many of them still little more than children. Since these wars peace and safety in the world has been unknown.

The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I, was around 40 million. There were 20 million deaths and 21 million wounded. The total number of deaths includes 9.7 million military personnel and about 10 million civilians. On the Western Front alone (location of the Somme) 45,000 Australian troops were killed.

They gave their today for our tomorrow.

Despite the carnage and slaughter that surrounded them, the sight of the cross at Ypres as it burned, brought a message of hope and peace to the troops of WW1,. Christ too had given His today for our, and their, tomorrow. He too had died, voluntarily, for the very results of sin and evil that surrounded them. The cross, and His resurrection, promised the dead would, at His coming, live again and have eternal life with their loved ones.

The world today is in turmoil as nations jossle for prominence and power, invading territories that do not conform, threatening war and retribution . Environmentally, we pollute the earth, seas and air. Socially? Marriage is no longer the norm'. Christian and family values have broken down. Narcotic addiction affects the lives of many as they turn to drugs in an attempt to make it through yet another day. Violence towards 'the different' increases weekly, as does homelessness and sleeping on the streets. It's a sad reflection on our society that in 2018 there is a need for foodbanks as government financial benefits are cut to the bone and the National Health Service slides into meltdown as treatment for some depends of the postcode you live in. This is not what the troops of WW1 and WW2 gave their lives for.

I am convinced that the experiences of Jack, Snowy and Joey as they fought on the battlefields of the Somme, and the sight of the cross above the flames of Ypres, points us to our only hope for the future - Jesus our Saviour. The promise of the cross is forgiveness, resurrection and new life – reunion with our loved ones – peace and safety....a cross that whispers, “all will be well”.

It's time for us to put our house in order and accept His sacrifice on our behalf, as today, this moment, is the day of our salvation. Let us be glad and rejoice in it.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” - John 15:13

Music choice today is from Bryn's collection - Wintley Phipps singing “Let there be peace on earth.” Click on the picture to listen