Today is a special day in the Calendar when we remember all those who have died or been injured in war. In this country we remember particularly the dead and injured from the first and second World Wars but we need also to remember those from the Falklands, the Gulf, the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars plus many other minor conflicts. We are all encouraged to stop at 11.00am and spend two minutes in silence thinking about those who have sacrificed their lives so that we might live in peace.

For Christians this is not just about looking back, but also trying to understand this in the sight of God. In other words we need to look beyond the bereavement and hurt to our God. Because it is only then that we can turn from looking back to face the future. Why did all these people die if we don’t learn from it and try to make our world a better place and we can only do this if we are willing to pray and listen to God.

For a moment let us think about the Stained Glass Windows we have in many of our Churches. I am sure each one of us has our favourites and we can picture them on a lovely sunny day with the sun shining through, they are wonderful. Do we see them as a beautiful, historic window and that is all they are or do we move beyond the beauty and the story they are telling to enable us to worship God. At night the magnificence of the windows disappears, they need the light of the sun for us to see them.

Likewise on Remembrance Sunday we need the light of the Son to make sense of the bereavement and hurt, to help us to do all in our power to make the world a better place. Jesus, the Son is the light of the world and he loved us so much that he was willing to live and die for us.

We will remember Him.

We will remember them.

Andrew Lane SSL