Today is Remembrance Day.

On Remembrance Day each year, we think about those who have lost their lives in war. Some of those people were combatants involved in the conflict and others were civilians caught up in what was happening around them. Some of those people lost their lives right then and there; others were wounded and passed away from their injuries later on. Some were physically injured and others were injured in their minds and spirits.  

It can be tempting to conclude that we should resign ourselves to war since it seems somehow inevitable. Let's not give in to that temptation. When Mary anointed Jesus' feet with perfume one of his disciples complained that the money used to buy it could have been given to the poor. Jesus comments that the poor will always be with us. People have sometimes used Jesus' comment as an excuse to avoid working at solutions to poverty and I think we sometimes use the same mindset to avoid working for peace. It might be useful to think about a leaking boat as an analogy instead. If you are in a leaking boat it's important to bail the water out as fast as it leaks in. Your efforts at bailing don't prevent the boat from leaking - the boat is leaking because it is a faulty boat. Your efforts are important because the boat is leaking. Your bailing effort does not stop the boat from leaking but it may prevent the boat from being overwhelmed by those leaks which cause destruction and loss, potentially of life. Your bailing effort does not become less important because there is a constant need for it. Your bailing effort is important because there is a constant need for it.

We all live in societies that have become corrupted or faulty. How that corruption came to be is something that people can argue about but two of the many results of that corruption are poverty and conflict. When peacemaking and justice efforts at all levels fail or are insufficient, sometimes war does break out. During those times people act bravely, in cooperation, with tremendous commitment, determination, and self-sacrifice to achieve the goal of victory for their side in that particular war effort. We recognize those qualities on Remembrance Day. But, to extend the boat analogy, by that time the boat has sunk and everything's in the water. The best that can be hoped for is minimizing destructive loss. If people can show that sort of bravery, cooperation, commitment to duty, and self-sacrifice after the boat has sunk it would be great to demonstrate those same values while it's still floating. We may not be able to eliminate war through bravery, cooperation, commitment, determination, and self-sacrifice, but if our effort to prevent and resolve conflict without destructive violence matched our efforts during times of war, there could be less war and a more just society as a result.

Remembrance Day is an important recognition for us as Canadians. We recognize the tremendous loss that happens during war. We recognize the valour and service that people show during times of incredible difficulty. Remembrance Day is particularly important for Christians as we remember to be discerning about the ways that our allegiance to God through Jesus and our allegiance to our society line up. Remembrance Day is especially important for those who are associated with the peace church tradition whether we consider ourselves pacifists or not. We are people of faith, followers of Jesus whose citizenship is in God's peaceable kingdom even though we reside as expatriates in the civil societies that we live in here. We demonstrate the values and priorities of our homeland even as we reside outside of it.

To quote one Reformation era church planter, “we are people of God's peace; as new creation love unites and strengthens us.” No matter how we align our efforts with those of the society in which we live, we are called to demonstrate the same level of bravery, cooperation, commitment, determination, and self-sacrifice that can be expected of other citizens towards a shared goal; a more just society that benefits everyone.