Today is the Day we remember the 100 years since the signing of the Armistice from World War 1 where Canadians, some 68,000 young men and some women were killed. It was a "war to end all war!" Agassiz, a very small village 100 years ago lost 13 people in the war. The parish of All Saints lost 5 members and sent 28 people to do battle in what was supposed to be a winnable quick war!
People did not understand that war killing technology had advanced since the Boer War. It was not quick! Leaders of the ruling class knew it, but kept their information from the fighting class. Cenotaphs were constructed to provide places of grief for families whose children and family members had been so destroyed that there was nothing left to bury, mark and remember.
What have we learned? Soldiers in 1914-18 were routinely shot and killed as cowards by their commanders when they developed PTSD. Today, we don't generally have hand to hand combat like a 100 years ago. Today we use drones that are controlled by soldiers thousands of miles away. They still develop PTSD but we treat them rather than kill them. War in whatever form is destructive and a waste!
What can we do? This day is set in the light of the poem "In Flanders Fields" and the Beatitudes from Jesus-Jesus' 10 Commandments for Christians. We must work to find non-violent ways of dispute settlement. We do not need to follow politicians who find and use scapegoats such as the Nazis did in WW2 using the Jews as the reason for their problems.
Jesus would have us work together, solve problems through discussion, respect, reason, prayer. reflection and love.This must be our goal as we move forward to the next 100 years of "Remembrance" as Progressive Christians.
