The Bells of Peace

Yesterday marked the one hundredth anniversary of the armistice that ended World War 1, the Great War to end all wars.  To mark the occasion The Royal Canadian Legion in conjunction with Veterans Affairs was sponsoring the Bells of Peace.  As noted on the Legion website:

Bells of Peace marks the occasion 100 years ago, when church bells across Canada rang out to share the news: the First World War was over. As the sun goes down, a bell or bells will be rung 100 times at community locations across the country to honour the sacrifices of Canadians who served in the 1914-1918 War, and to remembers the horrors of war, the costs to society, and the promise of peace.

As bells toll to remember the 650,000 who served, close to 66,000 killed, and more than 172,000 wounded, many communities will also commemorate the local people and events that link their community to the Great War. A soundwave of bells across the nation will help tell a historical journey of Canada's service and sacrifice during the First World War.

At my home church, St. James Anglican Church, Parkhill, a group of us gathered at 5:00 pm yesterday and rang the church bell 100 times (there may have been a few extra for good measure as the count was a bit unclear at the end).  I am gratified that this endeavour was named the Bells of Peace as it is important that when we remember the sacrifices made by so many in that War to end Wars, and in so many wars and conflicts since then, that we not only honour those who sacrificed in so many different ways but also the hope and promise of peace that was embraced by so many at that time. 

As the Chaplain to Branch 341 of the Royal Canadian Legion, at the service at the cenotaph at 11:00, I read the honour role of those who gave their lives in that war was well as WW2 and the Korean War from this area.  I am grateful that no name has been added to the honour role since the Korean War.  It is important to also remember the sacrifices made by all who have served since then in so many conflicts which continue to this day.  The latest conflict involving Canadians is the Peacekeeping effort tin Mali in which a contingent of 250 Canadian soldiers are engaged in what is described as ‘complex’.  In today’s sometimes confusing political climate peacekeeping has devolved in more peacemaking that keeping.

Since the end of conflict one hundred years ago the reality of war we have become more aware of the consequences for those who have served.  Those who were involved in war zones can suffer significant and lasting serious negative impacts on their mental health as well as the physical which are often easier to see.  What was known as shell shock in WW1 is now recognized as PTSD.  The consequences on these conditions and others like it and the impact it continues to have on the veterans and their families is now much more appreciated.  It is important that the sacrifice and suffering by all who have served and continue to serve is not forgotten of diminished. 

A week ago, Lorna saw the wonderful play, Come From Away, which tells the true events of the people who were passengers commercial air planes on 9-11 and were diverted to Gander NFLD as air space over the United States was shut down.  The story of one woman particularly stood out for me.  Her son was a fire fighter in New York and she spent the time grounded in Gander trying without success to find out if he was safe. 

The anxiety and fear she experienced during those six days were dramatically presented with great force.  It was not until later that she was informed that he had died as a first responder in the Twin Towers.  I share this account not to diminish in any way the ultimate sacrifice of those who we honour today.  It is to recognize the sacrifice made by so many in so many different circumstances which should also be honoured and remembered.  It is also to recognize and honour the sacrifices by those who loved the ones who made the sacrifices.

We, who follow the Prince of Peace, are called to pray and to work for peace in this world where that often seem to be a dream and hope which is receding in the distance.   I will close with the prayer that I prayed at when we gathered to ring the Bell of Peace at St. James, the Prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Be Careful For Nothing

Last weekend – actually Friday and Saturday, Lorna and I adventured into the urban wilderness of Toronto.  We traveled by VIA rail going business class which, I discovered, is well worth the extra cost.  You and pampered and plied with drinks and good food and all in all was a very pleasant experience.

We were in Toronto primarily to see ‘Come From Away’ which is the dramatization of true events when planes were diverted to the small community of Gander Newfoundland on 9-11.  Gander is a small community with, ironically and opportunistically, a large now much unused airport.  We also had a visit with family which made the experience extra pleasant.  I found Come From Away to be a wonderfully moving experience.  It made the story of those unintended refugees in commercial airlines, which most of the world heard about at the time, come alive and gave, what was to me a true experience of the challenges and triumphs of the people involved in dealing with a completely unexpected experience.  There were, unbelievably, about nine thousand passengers and crews for planes from many different countries which were diverted to the airport in Gander NFLD which had a population of a similar number.  The magnitude of the challenge was very dramatically represented in the play. 

The drama and anxiety and boredom of those passengers who had no idea what was happening as they landed in an unknown land and sat on the tarmac for up to twenty-eight hours without being told what was happening was made crystal clear to the audience.  The challenge of a relatively small community to meet the demands of the situation and response by the Newfoundlanders who are legendary for their hospitality made it also crystal clear that those planes were in the best place in the world.  A larger centre such as Toronto might have had more resources to respond to the emergency but the warmth and welcome and ingenuity of the Newfoundlanders could not have been duplicated elsewhere. 

One scene which stood out for me was the response to the challenge of the many different languages spoken by the refugees.  It could have been a scene out of the Tower of Babel.  However, those people had something the people of Babel didn’t.   The initial response was a true epiphany as one of the residents realized that many of the people had bibles in their languages and was inspired to find a verse which would help in availing their fears.  It was Philippians 4:6-8.  In the play it was translated “Be anxious for nothing.”  I prefer the translation from the King James version, “Be careful for nothing”.  The whole verse sums up the beauty of the response:

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

In this case I must concede that “anxious” was more appropriate in the circumstances. 

There was much for those refugees to be anxious and afraid about.  Some of these things were lived out as revealed in the play but in the end the care and hospitality and, yes, love shown by the Newfoundlanders and the response by the refugees gave the truth to the wisdom of Julian of Norwich, “all shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

I cannot help be compare the welcome received by those refugees on 9-11 to the fear that is being Trumped up (pun intended) in response to the ‘caravan’ of refugees currently making its way o the southern border of the United States.  I will close with a quoted from a source that I often turn to, the lyrics for Leonard Cohen which seem to be an appropriate response:

I saw Jesus on the cross on a hill called Calvary
"do you hate mankind for what they done to you? "
He said, "talk of love not hate, things to do - it's getting late.
I've so little time and I'm only passing through."

Passing through, passing through.
Sometimes happy, sometimes blue,
Glad that I ran into you.
Tell the people that we all are passing through.

Let our response to the refugees in our lives be one of love and not hate.  Time does seem to be short and it seems to be getting late these days. 

Blessings on your journey.