REMEMBRANCE

During today’s meeting we’ll be taking time out to remember those who have given their lives during the various wars that have rocked our world. Whatever your thoughts on the rights or wrongs of war, today is a day to honour those who have given their lives and it is right and proper to remember. In doing so we don’t glorify war but we do say thank you to those who served.

Today many of us will be thinking of family members who were caught up in the two world wars and other conflicts, but I’m also drawn to the bigger issue that hangs over our world: the desperate reality that we need to know the peace of God. There are a couple of things we can do to promote peace. Firstly: Pray! Pray for the war-torn countries and people groups caught up in a spiral of suffering, death and destruction: that godly solutions might be found and unleashed and liberation might come.

On a more personal level, let us make sure we live in peace. Let’s be ready to forgive unconditionally and not be afraid to say sorry if we suspect there’s an issue, even if we don’t feel that we are to blame. Let’s be active as agents of peace, full of grace and generosity with our words and actions. Jesus declares blessing over those who seek to promote peace and live accordingly, saying, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ (Matthew 5:9) The statement doesn’t just promote the importance of peace, it implies that people will see the authenticity of our relationship with God when we display it… Wow!