Gospel Text: John 14
Prayer:
On this remembrance sunday, our minds are drawn to the many memorials in our churches, in towns and cities across our land which list the names of soldiers who left this land to go and fight on foreign shores during the two world wars.
We remembering those who left their loved ones at home to fight for the freedom which we enjoy today.
At this remembrance time we also recall those who have died since the end of the second world war, those servicemen & women as well as Police officers who have been killed whilst serving the community.
The events of the past week show that we are not far removed today – servicemen and women dying in the line of duty.
It is extremely important to remember what has gone on before today,
to learn the lessons of history,
to tell the stories of generations past to the current generation.
I will never forget in second year a group of us went out from the High School in Banbridge to the French Belgium border to the battlefields in Northern France to see where members of some of our families fought and where many perished.
What really struck me was the names of all those who had died on huge monuments ... Mennin Gate and Thiepval Memorial.Thepival in particular – 70,000 names of men who have no known grave
As I walk round the grave yards there … to see white headstones standing tall many of whom were inscribed with the words … A soldier of the great war or known only unto God
On those monuments there were the Names of people who died … But we cannot, and should never forget that they are not simply names inscribed on stone ... but these were living breathing people who had a whole network of relationships somebody's son, father, husband ...but who died fighting for something, some ideal bigger than themselves.
Each name reminds us of the brutality of war. In this church we have a moument which lists the names of many men who went out and made the ultimate sacrifice.
When it comes to remembrance day, we cannot and should never glorify warfare - it is evil. The whole of the gospel calls us to love our enemy and to do good to those who hate us but we also do need to stand up and fight for what we know is true and right.
How do we make sense of war? can we make sense of war?
Scholars and theologians do try ... with theories such as Just war theory and we can argue round and round about the justification for war & violence.
But this is not what remembrance is about – Remembrance is however about individual's who go and risk their own lives in the service of their country.
I have always been struck by the story of the Christmas Football match in the trenches...
Dec 1914
The truce began when German soldiers started to sing Christmas carols.
British troops responded and gradually both sets of soldiers moved out of their trenches and met in no-man's land.
After exchanging stories and gifts, several games of football broke out.
The only result recorded was a 3-2 victory by the Germans, quoted in soldiers' letters from both sides.
On some parts of the front hostilities were officially resumed on Boxing Day at 0830 - ceremonial pistol shots marking the occasion.
In other areas non-aggressive behaviour lasted for days and, in some cases, weeks.
Whatever armies may have marched … they are always made up of individuals.
But whatever we think of war we always boil things down to the lowest common denominator ... the individual.
Last night I watched the Festival of Remembrance and was struck by the personal testimony of men and women doing their jobs under enemy fire, as well as the widows who were sharing their memories of those who died.
As we turn to our Gospel reading this evening, we remember that throughout the gospels Jesus was concerned with the individual and relating to them.
He spoke to individual disciples in difficult circumstances
Wether it be disciples who were struggling to understand what he was getting at … as we see in tonights gospel reading as Thomas & Philip try to get to the bottom of what Jesus is saying to them, about his death and about what will happen afterwards.
Jesus also was not afraid to speak to, and challenge those those who were intent on killing him,
He met individuals in their time of grief - think of Mary & Martha.
The reading from the Gospel tonight is a very familiar passage - it is one which we use at many funeral services here in St. Columba's ,
it is one which speaks of hope, of reassurance, of peace and of relationship.
Our world today is a very confusing place ... the amount of violence evident on all our news bullitens - Just this week
- The threat from Dissident Republicans was highlighted
- The shootings in Afganistan of those who were trying to train the police force by a member of the police force
- The shootings in America
Then daily, people here in Northern Ireland as well as across the globe are dying from unnessary things - people we know who have died from curable and incurable diseases.
Whilst we do remember this day those who have died in the wars, those we know and those of whom we only have heard about ... let us remind ourselves that we are here
worshiping God the creator,
worshiping God the redeemer
worshiping the one who sustains us and who promises us his peace.
But above all let us remind ourselves of the eternal perspective he has. That we are indeed people who have an eternal hope.
Yes we are called to live for him,
to do what we are called to do
and ultimately to trust his love.
We have been given a tremendous promise in this passage of Johns Gospel, that we have access to the father, that we have an advocate, that we are not to be afraid That God is in control.
On this remembrance day, in the stillness of this place let us take a few moments to pray for those situations on our minds which are confusing, which are disturbing us.
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