Words on a Canadian War Memorial
“Let us therefore follow things that make for peace.”
Romans 14:19Today is November 11th 2015. A hundred years ago today there were men fighting and dying in the fields of Europe. They were fighting for the peace of the world.
Some historians have said it was actually only round one. Come September of 1939 round two would begin.
By the time it ended world war two would have claimed the lives of over 60,000,000 soldiers and civilians.
Put in perspective in 1939 the total population of the United Kingdom was 47,760,000. Canada at the time had a population of 11,267,000. So just short of six times the population of Canada died in world war two.
Canada itself had 43,600 war deaths or 1.8% of the population. The then Soviet Union lost 24,000,000 or approximately 14% of it’s 1939 prewar population.
Nazi death camps cost the lives of an estimated 11,000,000 innocent civilians, approximately 6,000,000 of them Jews.
The Bible verse I quoted above,“Let us therefore follow things that make for peace.” was written with the intent that Christians, to whom it is written should follow a path of peace.
Sadly at least in the twentieth century, and now it seems with the upsurge or terrorism in the world today, the path of peace means waging war.
In the 1930's politicians did all they could politically and peacefully to prevent war. Evil men however forced war on men of peace. It seems as though this may happen again.
For today however let us remember those who for the best of reasons took up arms in the pursuit of peace.Those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy the life of freedom we here in Canada and the west enjoy.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) who served as a surgeon in world war one. A hundred years ago this year, while at the funeral of a friend in Flanders wrote what is perhaps the most quoted poem ever written by a Canadian, he wrote,
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD.Let us no matter what we believe, always remember that at times the peace and freedoms we enjoy today cost a terrible price.
Let us always be vigilant and stand up against any evil that would attempt to take away our freedoms.
Let us take the torch passed to us by those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and stand up to evil and tyranny in all its forms.
Martin Niemoller a German cleric and Anti-Nazi wrote,
“When they came for the Communists,
I did not stand up, because I was not a Communist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not stand up, because I was not Jewish.
When they came for the Catholics,
I did not stand up, because I was not a Catholic.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to stand up.”
Martin NiemollerLet us not allow such a thing to happen again. We must never let evil and tyranny in any form go unchecked. No matter the cost.
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