Remembrance Day

I am not sure why after all these years but I was in tears again through the service even though I stayed home today and just listened on the radio. I am overcome even before we get to the Last Post and the silence. Then it was all the Royals and political leaders and service chiefs laying their wreathes and that long list of what was once the Empire now the Commonwealth who were fighting with us from the start. They started with Canada, Australia, NZ, S Africa, India, Pakistan Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Malaysia and so on in the order they were independent- including Lesotho and Botswana, most of the West Indies and little islands, Figi, Tonga, Papua New Guinea it really was a world war and yes I know America came in too.

And then there was the description of the war graves in France and Belgium, the millions who died and the horrors of the Trenches; and the new memorial to those who died since 1950 including recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 2 minute silence has been brought back in recent years at the suggestion of the British Legion (started in 1921 to help the families and war-wounded who also started the red poppies to support the work) more

The young seem to be taking more interest these days too. I heard an 18year-old speaking of his Great-Great-Great grandfather and his son who joined up together in 1914 and died together at Passiondale -

So why am I so moved? My Dad was in the RAF and I learned to appreciate the little Spitfire from him (and go occasionally to see one in the Air Museum at East Fortune). Some of my older friends were there too. Alan was flying with the RAF in 1944-45; Joan was a Nurse in Burma when the Japs came and C was in a Japanese camp in China as a child and cannot speak of it. Something of their experience reaches me.

And there are those who are able to forgive and those who seek peace and reconciliation and as we remember and determine it should never happen again we are aware as never before of the vastness of the suffering, cruelty and dying that goes on and on- and the love and compassion and hope-

Once in my student days when I was trying to keep warm in bed in my bed-sitter ( I really did!) and depressed about VietNam and student revolts and Marcuse writing something like ‘Revolution is no good because you can’t change mens’ hearts’ I thought miserably that God can; and suddenly my head seemed to resound with the Hallujah chorus THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH’ and I had to laugh at the way He reminded me that He is and always will be King-