A day to remember
This coming Sunday is the day when we remember those who gave their lives fighting for our country in the wars and conflicts from the Great War of 1914 – 1918 to the present day.
Except of course by those who dearly loved them, most of those who died in the conflicts of the last 100 years are not widely known, despite their undoubted bravery and heroism. And in most cases, even in very recent conflicts, we know very little about the circumstances of their deaths. Still, very few things unite our nation like honouring those who fell in conflict, whether we knew them personally or not: we remember them, and may we always do so.
In the Youth Alpha series three weeks ago, it was said that Jesus’ death is unique in all of human history. Most people, especially great leaders, are remembered for their lives, for what they did and what they said. Other great leaders may have died in dramatic circumstances, or may have said profound things in the hour of their death. But the death of Jesus stands apart.
His death seems in one sense to have been the purpose of Jesus’ life, or if you don’t like saying it that way, it’s certainly true that His death was intimately bound up with the purpose of His life. That is certainly unique. Each of his four biographers – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – spend a huge amount of their writing focussing on the hours leading up to His death, the events of His death and what they say happened after His death. That is certainly an unusual way to write someone’s life story.
This coming Sunday, Bill Webb will lead us in remembering those who fell in military conflict; for him, as most of us know, this is a very personal remembrance because of his service during the Second World War. We will also take a brief look back at the First World War, 100 years on from that great conflict. And then we will share in the Lord’s Supper together. And as we do, we will ask ourselves the question: how does the death of Jesus stand apart, even from the great sacrifices that the whole nation will stop and consider on this Remembrance Sunday?
David Faulkner