Remembrance 2008

Today, we observe Remembrance Day in the setting of a Christian worship. (Canadian Anglican Church) It is different from observing it at the cenotaph or at the veteran section in a cemetery. Why do we have the remembrance in the context of Christian worship? What is the Christian connection? What Christian lessons can we learn from remembering their past sacrifice?

To remember is a powerful thing. We do it every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, in remembering the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As you heard me said it before, the kind of Eucharistic remembrance is more than thinking back to a past event. It is more like re-living that event in the here and now. It becomes a participation of the sacred story. It is a re-enactment. But what are we re-membering and re-enacting today? To re-member means to reconnect, making those whom we remember present to us. They are still members, and part of our living reality.

When we look at the symbol of a red poppy, we know what it represents. Just as familiar is our symbol of the cross, we know what it stands for, too! Both are symbols of sacrifice and death, the death of a relatively young Jesus and the death of young men and women whose lives were cut short by the violence of wars. They could never grow old as we can grow old and live out a full lifespan. We believe that their short lives made it possible for us to live, with freedom and liberty. Now, our lives become a form of vicarious living, so that we may live out and fulfill their hopes and dreams. As we hold up the symbols of the poppy and the cross to do the act of remembering, we also find new life and hope!

Not too many of us know personally of the war dead in the two world wars. We may not have any personal memories of friends and relatives who died fighting in battlefields. However, we do the remembering to thank them for what they have done for us and for our country. Most agree that they made the ultimate (Christ like) sacrifice in laying down their lives for us, so that we may have life. Much in the same way, Christ the Good Shepherd lay down his life for his sheep, so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I was told by my older brother of old family history before I was born. My father had 9 siblings in his family. He was #8. Near the end of WW2, it was not easy to secure a ticket on a boat to travel between Canton and Hong Kong. Our grandmother was living in Canton at that point. In January 1945, our 9th uncle, dad's youngest brother, was not able to get a ticket to go to see his mother. But 7th aunt had a ticket, so she gave him her ticket as a favor. Unfortunately, the boat hit a water mine and 9th uncle lost his life. The irony remains that 7th aunt lived and 9th uncle died. In war, there are many similar stories of chance and the arbitrariness of life and death… one soldier got hit by a bullet and lived, another was not so lucky. Those who have survived the war and watched other comrades died in front of them often felt very guilty to be alive.

This week, we witnessed a historic moment in American history, where the first non-white person was elected President. Over 40 years ago, not that long ago, American Blacks were not even allowed to vote. We remember Martin Luther King who proclaimed that “I have a dream”, where the color of the skin and the race of the person would not hinder that person from being treated equally and judged fairly. He was assassinated and his life was cut short by hatred and fear, by those who felt threatened by his dream to end systematic racism. He did not live to see that dream come true. But he had the faith to be sure of what he had hoped for, and he was certain of what he had not yet seen. Like Moses, he did not get to lead his people into the Promised Land. Yet, his sacrifice of non-violence has paved the way and made it possible for others to pursue the dream of equality and liberty. Barack Obama is the Joshua figure who has the privilege to fulfill that dream. In his acceptance speech, his refrain of “Yes, we can” captures the fulfillment of that dream. His refrain of “Yes, we can” did not sound like triumphant shouts from the mountain top. It has the poignancy of a somber tone, almost like recognizing the pain and the struggle that had gone on before. It sounds more like quiet confidence than reckless celebration of victory. Perhaps Mr. Obama also felt the weight of the burden that is now placed on his shoulders, as one commentator pointed out. It is one thing to inspire hope, quite another to deliver it. To live up to the world’s huge expectation indeed is a tough act to follow. From his carefully chosen words, he re-membered Martin Luther King by connecting with words of his dream. He made Dr. King member of his team, 40 years after his death. His dream is not only alive, but is being fulfilled by this act of remembering!

In the context of Christian worship, we often say that we believe in the communion of the saints. Last week, we talked about saints in the context of All Saints’ Day. We affirm the belief that those who have died are still part of our lives, our reality and existence. While death separates us physically from those who have died, we are still connected in a spiritual way. In today’s Epistle (1Thessalonians 4:13-18), Paul talks about grief as necessary, but he admonishes us not to grieve without hope. Our grief over death and losses should also be understood in the context of the resurrection of Christ. We share in the hope of rising with Christ. That is a message of encouragement which inspires hope in us!

On the other hand, the world focuses on the scary aspect of Halloween for a week. We were asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?” Is there a supernatural reality or dimension? Are you frightened by ghosts? Or, are there friendly ghosts? Certainly Hollywood movies always have ghosts in a lot of their stories. Some find it comforting to have their loved ones remain connected to them as ghosts. After all, if we can believe in a spiritual world, then is it too much to believe in the possibility of a supernatural world of ghosts? If so, what would we do with the ghosts of the past wars? How would we respond to keeping their memories alive and their sacrifice meaningful?

Perhaps the first response may be fear. Just as we have been conditioned to be frightened by ghosts and haunted houses, we cannot quite observe remembrance without a sense of fear. We may be afraid of being asked to making the same sacrifice ourselves. We may be afraid of the constant threat to the peace of the world. We may be afraid of another terrorist attack, and another world war.

However, the second response I can think of is respect! We should look up to the men and women who made sacrifices for us and on our behalf. As the number of veterans from the two world wars dwindles, it is all the more important to remember them and honour them with respect. We should also respect our soldiers serving in Afghanistan, whether we agree with the politicians who sent them there or not. When we respect someone, we look up to them. We look up to a higher standard of behavior. Respect for them sets a higher goal for us, it demands us to do better, and allows us to hope!

The third response is one of being grateful. Respect may keep us at a distance, even with admiration. However, to say thank you is more personal. As children, we are always reminded to say “thank you”, whenever someone else has done something for us. How thankful should we be, when someone sacrifices their lives for us? How can we thank them? How grateful do we feel on this Remembrance Day?

The fourth response is one of commitment. Just as we remember, we participate in the story of the other; such participation becomes a call to action as well. Joshua in today’s Old Testament lesson (Joshua 24) led his people in a renewal of the covenant, after the distribution of land among the victorious tribes of Israel in the Promised Land. While Joshua recalled God’s promise to Abraham, he did not have to invoke the name and the memory of Moses. The people remembered. They knew. They did not have to be reminded. God’s mighty acts of deliverance were re-enacted every year in their festival of Passover.

To remember, we are called to act, to continue the unfinished work of those who have gone before us. One of the best ways to pay tribute to someone, as I always conclude my homilies in a funeral, is to follow the good example of that person. She or he may have excelled in many things, in being generous, loving and caring in their lives. Now that they have finished their life journey, someone else will have to take up what they have begun. They can no longer do what they used to do; someone else will have to continue their work for them. A response of grateful respect and commitment will call us to do just that.

In being called to remember our war dead, we are to remain vigilant for peace and for justice. We are entrusted with the responsibility to defend others’ freedom, rights and liberty, making sure that they are free from oppression. We are called to make sacrifices, when it is necessary, so that others’ lives may become better. Like the Good Shepherd, we are given the responsibility to look after his sheep for him. Today, we remember and we give thanks, first and foremost to Jesus the Good Shepherd in this Eucharist, and make a pledge to be his faithful servants in the here and now! Amen.

Fr Victor+
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