We learned that one of the bloodiest battles of WWI was on Flanders' Fields. Blood of wounded and killed soldiers; disturbance of ground; lime from shots fired all littered and soaked into the soil. Poppy seeds, long dormant in the ground, awakened by it all, germinated and grew and were resplendent in the field.
Canadian physician, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, viewed the sight of a poppy filled field where his friend had given his life on behalf of freedom and peace. He was inspired to write the poignant poem in 1915, In Flanders' Fields,
"In Flanders' Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead, short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders' fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch, be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders' fields."
Eventually, the spark of those words took hold and folks have taken up the "torch" in the form of a poppy, wearing them in lapels the world over, symbolizing those soldiers who died and veterans who served. We are grateful for their courageous service and sacrifice. Madmen, tyrants, HAD to be stopped.
Thus, Remembrance Day, or in some places, Veteran's or Armistice Day, dawned. At least one day a year; the 11th day of the 11th month of the year; a day to stop and consider those husbands, fathers, sons, and dedicated women; perhaps at 11 AM on that day. Some of those who survived, suffer still, from aftermath which in older days was termed, "shell shocked".
It's actually difficult to get a 'real' life feel of the whole picture of the many who served and of what they endured, whether in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, or elsewhere. Thank God if you didn't have to experience it first hand!
Yet we can imagine it some by viewing footage or reenactments. Recently, I watched the USS Indianapolis (granted it was a movie likely with added 'salt' and 'pepper') which had been commissioned to a secretly, enshrouded mystery mission now known to have transported some of the atomic bomb parts destined for Hiroshima, from California to Tiniah, one of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific.
Due to the "stealth" mode, this ship did not travel with an escort or convoy. It was 'do or die' either way. They did accomplish this task, however, and even avoided the Japanese kaiten suicide craft attempt to ream into and destroy the heavy cruiser.
It's onward journey, again ordered to maintain radio silence, was to make its way to the Philippines. What a travesty that ended in!
This time, the lurking Japanese subs launched their torpedoes and found their mark, destroying the USS Indianapolis beyond salvage. There was no time to lose...
"Abandon ship!" commanded Captain Charles McVay. Later, he unjustly got a bad rap for that, being accused of not saying it in a timely manner. He, himself had gotten blown overboard by an explosion.
Men were eaten alive and/or had large chunks taken out of them by sharks, and succumbed to blood loss and fear and despair. By the time the blokes at the Philippine headquarters realized there was an SOS, only about 300 of the 860 sailors that were thrown by explosions or had jumped overboard, were plucked out of the sea, traumatized beyond the beyond. Survivors talk about it.
This was tragic, to say the least, but gives a fragment of an idea of what soldiers went/go through over and above the actual bloodbath of combat. Stories of trench conditions, disease, homesickness; the list could, no doubt, go on. Just reading about it makes one very uncomfortable and unsettled.
The army, navy and air force of many allied countries gave their lives for many. We do well to pause and remember and be thankful. One of the ways of expressing our gratitude is to wear a poppy on our lapel and recall the military personnel who gave their service and their lives for others. Thank a veteran you know.
This puts me in mind, of course, of Jesus' sacrifice for all mankind. Each Lord's Day is a time of remembrance of His death and resurrection which He did for us, earning atonement for our souls. Satan, the merciless, evil tyrant enemy of God, and by association, the followers of Jesus Christ, had thought he'd gotten the upper hand on God and His creation by perpetrating The Fall of the first Adam, and ever after of the human race.
God rescued us from Satan and the seeming perishing end in Hell, for all eternity to come. The bread and wine we believers partake of remind us of that deliverance; Jesus Christ and His shed blood.
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He come" (1 Corinthians 11:26 NKJV).
Another excellent way of showing our appreciation to God is to live a holy life, following Jesus's perfect example and remembering that when we make our mistakes that He will be,
"...faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
when we confess them to Him.
As you can read in Lord's Day Devotion - Wave After Wave, Jesus suffered greatly for us; for our freedom from eternal punishment and to give us peace within our hearts and a future in His Heaven, forever. Read this bit,
Jesus suffered severely on our behalf; "all the waves and billows had gone over Him" (Psalm 42:7 KJV). Think of how He was treated during His earthly walk: scoffed at; NOT believed in despite all the prophesies pointing to Him and being fulfilled by Him; despite the many miracles and His compassion and kindness to the crowds in general and the individuals in particular, and so on.
Betrayal. Arrest. Insults mounted against insult. False accusations. Beatings. Mockery. The final coup d'etat, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God's Son. God's Son! All this at the hands of mankind to whom He had come to save.
Let us never forget what others have done for us, those who've gone to war for us, and of the everlasting consequence of what Jesus has done for us.
Give thanks with a grateful heart and...
remember.
~ERC November 2019~
Here's something that has happened for homeless veteran's in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tiny Home Village.
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