This week’s article is from Liesel Parkinson, AFCU’s Prayer and Pastoral Director.
Last month I was part of a team leading a day of training offering a Christian perspective on military trauma. It was clear throughout the day, whether they said something or not, that many had their own connection to the military through remembrance or trauma. One wore poppy earrings, others wore veterans’ badges, and many had stories or relationships that were deeply personal. There was a spoken and unspoken recognition of the cost of military service and the sacrifices that have been made by so many.
One of the speakers during the day was Colonel Sergii Zosich, who joined us online from Ukraine. He spoke movingly about the realities of war which his nation faces. I was particularly struck by his description of the daily minute’s silence observed throughout Ukraine to remember those who have fallen. It is not an annual event. It happens every day because the losses continue every day. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion began, with casualties continuing to rise. It’s personal; everyone has someone they knew to remember.
Sergii’s words reminded me how quickly our own war remembrances can fade from our public collective consciousness when a conflict moves from the headlines. I know that many military charities like Help for Heroes and Combat Stress have spoken about the challenges they face now in maintaining funding and support, as war is no longer at the forefront of people’s minds.
Years ago, I attended a moving remembrance service in Germany. It was held in a regimental gymnasium and led by the Unit Padre alongside serving personnel. The Padre spoke from the familiar verse:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
For the military audience who were there, those words carried particular weight. They understood sacrifice, courage, duty and the willingness to put others before themselves. They remembered those who never returned from recent conflicts.
But the Padre did not stop there. He gently reminded us that, as remarkable as human sacrifice can be, there is an even greater love. Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. He entered into suffering and death so that we might know forgiveness, hope and eternal life.
That is what makes the Christian message so powerful at remembrance time. We do not simply remember a death. We remember a resurrection. A resurrection that brings us life and relationship with God.
This year, as we remember those who have died as a result of military service, we also look to the One who conquered death itself. The One who not only died for us, but rose again, so that all who trust in Him might have life in all its fullness.Let’s pray fervently this year that those who grieve the loss of friends and family will know God’s presence, peace and resurrection life this Remembrance Day.