As we enter November, we come towards the end of the year, with one month to go. As I enter the last six months of training for ministry in the Church in Wales; I have been reflecting on what I have learned during my time in training, but also what life has taught me over the years.
As such it seems appropriate that I have been asked to focus on remembrance this November. We Remember the sacrifice made by our servicemen and women during the ages, but we also prepare to remember the incarnation (a fancy word for the coming of God into the world they created) as Christmas fast approaches.
For most of us living in these beautiful valleys of Sirhowy and Rhymney, war is a distant memory – not something we have experienced for ourselves. As such we don’t have first hand experience of the horrors of war. But we must also remember that this isn’t true for all of us. In our communities we have people living amongst us who have experienced those horrors.
As we approach the 11th of November, I am mindful that remembrance day has a different resonance for different people. For someone who served in the military, you may remember those you served with who didn’t come home – remembering the sacrifice of war. You may also remember what you went through and the changes it made to your life.
When I lived in Sussex, we celebrated Battle of Britain day, remembering that during WW2 the horrors of war came to this land. Attending such a service reminded me of my grandmother, who grew up in Sussex during the war, having a moment upon hearing an air-raid siren during the 1990’s. The memory of bombs falling was raw, even though 50 years had passed. The trauma was real.
How raw therefore must those terrors be for someone who has experienced war in recent times? We can take it for granted that we live in a land that is safe from the ravages of war. It is too easy to forget those who have survived war, for whom the horrors are still all too real. As we stand at our local war memorial, it is one thing to remember and commemorate those who have died as a result of war, but it is equally important that we remember those who came back from war damaged and hurting.
As Christians we have the duty to love our neighbour as ourselves, to provide care and hospitality to those in need. We have a duty to keep a Welcome in the Valleys, not a cliched welcome but a real welcome that enables people to feel part of our communities; regardless of where they have come from.
As we celebrate Jesus’ coming at Christmas we remember that someday he will return in glory. One day war will become a thing of the past and all will be made well. People will live in peace and harmony with each other and with God. But until that time comes, we have the duty to ensure that we make an effort to make this a reality. Where division and distrust is rampant, we have a duty to bring unity and peace. This is how we can live a life guided by Christian Values, that both glorifies God and blesses those around us.