If you are reading this, it is probably because you have just taken part in a core Christian activity, an act of remembrance that Jesus asks us all to practise regularly. Our eucharistic participation is defined as ‘In Remembrance of Me’, as we recall the Last Supper.
So how to observe Remembrance Sunday? How to extend Remembrance beyond this special part of November? This should ideally be an act of self-discipline, but enjoyable at the same time. Beyond the obvious public observance, we might -
- Learn more about a family member who participated in warfare, or who kept the home fires burning. War affects non-combatants too, and their stories are not always well-told.
- Learn more about the causes of conflict. What sins of commission or omission contribute to war’s outbreak?
- Join an organisation that promotes international understanding. Your city or town is sure to be ‘twinned’ with an equivalent overseas. Are there visitors coming to a place near you?
- Read your history, particularly about the Land Wars, and the two World Wars. These events shaped the nation we have become.
- Take time to visit a Military Cemetery if you are overseas. Pray for those who are buried there, and for those who maintain those Cemeteries. As a country, we have a disproportionate number of young men buried in foreign soil. Remember those who cannot visit because of distance, or inaccessibility.
- Be a good ambassador. There is no shame in promoting our country and its values. Past sacrifice does not go unnoticed, and is celebrated more often than you think.
- Think carefully before you judge others, especially when invited to do so by politicians who seek to divide.
- Find out what aspects of warfare bring out the best in us; the sorrow about sacrifice is often mixed with regret for times when ‘we all pulled together’.
Most of all, Jesus’ request for Remembrance is a request for quiet reflection, for long-term thinking, for deep consideration of and for our neighbours. Remembrance Sunday - like the Eucharist itself - is an opportunity for thanksgiving and reflection. It is also an opportunity to respond to sacrifices made on our behalf. Remembrance Sunday - coming right after All Souls - is an opportunity not to be missed.
