Running errands yesterday I caught a portion of a CBC piece on France. At the time I tuned in, the narrator was addressing the nation at war. Specifically, he was talking about the First World War and the massive battles fought on French soil. I was surprised to hear that, even still, 400 tons of munitions are retrieved each year from the fields where those battles were waged. Farmers drag them up with ploughs and bomb experts are called in to defuse the still lethal shells and grenades. Although WW1 came to an official end just over ninety years ago, it continues to be deadly because more than 600 of these munitions experts have been killed since fighting ceased. They die as the result of a war supposedly long over, the way their counterparts die today in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I suppose we are all more aware of the effects of war as we come closer to Remembrance Day, especially since Canadian soldiers are fighting and dying in Afghanistan. On Saturday one of our daughters was driving with a friend to Kingston and passed the vehicles carrying our latest fallen soldier and his family to Toronto. She texted her mother that it was very moving for her.
We will also acknowledge the fallen of many wars in worship this Sunday. As you know, I feel that it is important to express our gratitude without glorifying war. One of our two remaining mobile WW2 veterans will carry the wreath, along with a child. It is always a sobering few minutes in the service.
4 comments:
The girls, my Mom and I happened over a local overpass this summer as it filled up with "supporters" for a recently fallen soldier. We stopped and waited and thought until the hearse passed under. I struggled a bit, partly from emotion but partly from the tension between supporting those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, while as you say not supporting war as the answer. Hearing the casualties caused by munitions still 90 years postwar is a sobering statistic.Blowin' in the Wind lyrics haunt.. "How many deaths will it take til we say too many people have died?"
I'll throw in another song Laura, showing that my mind is an odd trash can of informational bits and pieces. Remember Boy George's War Song?
War!
War!
In this heart of mine, I'll find a place for you
For black or white, for grown-up children too
Now we're fighting in our hearts
Fighting in the streets
Won't somebody help me?
War war is stupid and people are stupid
And love means nothing in some strange quarters
War war is stupid and people are stupid
And I heard the banging of hearts and fingers
No more war
say no more war
say war
I said war
No more war
say no more war
say war
Said no more war
I said no more war
Senso hant-ai
Senso hant-ai
Say no more war
Say no more war
Folks, we have a serious problem here. Remember when David said there were no apparent side effects from his H1N1 shot? Well, he is not quoting BOY GEORGE songs. This is not good. David, for the congregation's sake, please do not get the regular flu shot, or you'll probably end up singing Boy George songs during a service. Very sad.
Hey, forget about the singing, wait for the wardrobe!
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