Remembrance

I'm hoping to get to church today, but I'm not very optimistic. It has clearly rained overnight. Puddles are everywhere. Although it is warmer today & the skies were blue when I got up, it is already turning greyer.

Part of the reason why I particularly hoped to get there today is the fact that Linda, our new priest-in-charge, has taken over. This will be her first Sunday of services. I'd like to meet her & welcome her to our parish. However, I dare say she will still be there another week.

I had also hoped to get to church because I've not managed to go the last few weeks. Still I have been listening to service on BBC Radio4 this morning.

The focus of that service was the sacrifice made by so few for the sake of so many in the Battle of Britain. I suppose it isn't surprising when the service came from the Chapel of Remembrance at Biggin Hill & the congregation was mainly RAF members. I can't help wondering if this is the sign of things to come. Are we going to be remembering the 70th anniversary of various events in the Second World War for the next five years?

Much as I think there is a point of remembering - maybe then we will avoid the atrocity of a further such war - it can get a bit unrelenting. And a bit arbitrary. Who says which events should be remembered? Are those killed in lesser actions not worthy of being remembered? Are the sacrifices of men killed & maimed in the Korean War, the Falklands War, the Iraq War etc less to be valued?

And so far, there isn't much evidence that the remembrance has helped the world to avoid war. Still most days there is fighting somewhere in the world. We've just avoided making a single war spread onto a world scale. Though, even that is not entirely true. How many nations have sent men, & women, to fight in conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan? Maybe it is only recognised as a world war if it takes place in Europe.