Remembering

Today is November 11. Across Canada today, at 11:00 a.m. we will pause for a moment of silence and remembering.

When I was a child, Remembrance Day was an interesting exercise; something different and interesting that we did on this one day a year. As I get older, however, it seems to me that Rememberance Day gets much more personal. For example, I now feel a personal sense of connection to W.W. I, W.W. II, and now the war in Afghanistan. I know this experience is common to many people, but this is part of my remembering.

I remember Joan’s grandfather; a homeboy on a Canadian farm who was badly abused. He lied about his age, joined the army, then saw action in some of the most horrible battles of World War I including the battle of Ypres. I recall Fred sharing how despite no religious upbringing he prayed in a shell hole to a God he didn’t know; “God if you spare me, I will serve you.” Then he would laugh; he had no idea what that meant. But he was spared, returned home, then met a nice girl who led him to faith. He learned to serve God as a Sunday school teacher who told his war stories to try to warn of the horrors of war. His effort was not entirely successful; he had one of the biggest Sunday school classes in the city of Toronto! It was filled with boys who were fascinated by those stories. But the soldier went on to serve as a Community of Christ pastor, High Priest and District President. God was faithful and Fred kept his promise.

Then I remember my own father. I see him as a young man, camped with his unit in an oak forest in England in June of 1944. Their trucks were all waterproofed and ready to head for the docks the next day to participate in what would become known as the D-day invasion. That very night, an allied fighter pilot shot down an overhead buzz bomb, which landed right in the middle of their camp and “blew everything to smithereens!” I remember how he would wince when he shared that story. That event delayed their departure while they patched everything back together. As a result, he followed the D-day invasion, but several days late. I have often wondered if that unexpected event saved his life, which in turn, may well have enabled mine.

And now, I think of Robb, a young man who is the father and step-father to four of my grandchildren. Currently his address is the Canadian Forces Base, Kandahar. I remember how he left with a lot of enthusiasm for this new experience. I recall how, over time, his FaceBook posts revealed a very different reality. Now, both he and his family anxiously dream of, pray for and await his return home, and so do I.

So Remembrance Day is more personal for me than ever this year. Please don’t misunderstand, it is not about me at all, but it is about remembering, and it feels very personal.

As you pause today, for a moment of silence at the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, whom and what will you remember?

Posted by Carman