Last Thursday lunchtime (30th July) I watched the coverage of Henry Allingham’s funeral on one of the 24 hour news channels. Henry Allingham was one of the last survivors of the First World War. He served in the Royal Navy Air Service before transferring to the newly formed Royal Air Force. At the time of his death Mr. Allingham was 113 years old – the world’s oldest man.
An hour or so later I was standing on the roadside outside Gable Cross Police station in Swindon waiting for the latest repatriation cortege from RAF Lyneham to drive past. I joined the members of the Royal British Legion looking smart in their blazers and berets; I joined fire fighters from Wiltshire Fire Brigade; officers and staff from the police station, as well as members of the public.
The traffic stopped and the blue lights of the police escort could be seen. Followed by the gleaming black hearses bearing the bodies of Bombardier Craig Hopson, Warrant Officer Sean Upton, and Trooper Phillip Lawrence. All three had died on Monday in Afghanistan.
Without stopping, the cortege drove slowly past Gable Cross. The Wiltshire Police cars and motorbikes pulled over and their places were taken by cars and motorbikes of Thames Valley Police. Slowly the gathering disbursed. One of the ex servicemen said to me “What’s it all about Padre? It doesn’t make sense does it?” He was right. It – the war in Afghanistan - doesn’t seem to make sense. Certainly not for those grieving the loss of loved ones.
Yesterday, the funeral of another World War 1 veteran took place at Wells Cathedral. Harry Patch.
Having survived the horrors of the trenches Mr. Patch said that he believed war was organised murder. And in referring to the First World War he said "It was not worth it, it was not worth one let alone all the millions.”
Harry Patch also said that
"It's important that we remember the war dead on both sides of the line - the Germans suffered the same as we did.”
It is hard to remember the dead on both sides of the line. To do so requires a certain amount of forgiveness. It also requires a certain amount of courage to be prepared to stand out from the crowd who may not want to remember those on the other side.
But I believe that is important to remember those on both sides of the line. They too are someone’s son or daughter. They too are made in God’s image. They too are known only to God.
All too often in our world, even in the Church, we like to draw lines and divide into us and them. And this is not what God wants for the world and his people.
In the Bible the prophet Isaiah tells of a time when
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling [a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
What Isaiah was seeing was a time of peace and reconciliation. When the values of the world would change. When enemies, those who would be on opposite sides of the line, would be together. Christians believe that the “little child” Isaiah talks of was Jesus Christ. Who came into the world to bring about peace and reconciliation between peoples.
As one of the early followers of Jesus, St Paul, put it:
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Sadly, at times that peace, that reconciliation, seems a very long way off. But we must continue to work and pray for that peace and reconciliation to come.
A prayer.
O God you want your world, your whole universe to be reconciled in your love and for people to love together in peace. Forgive us Lord for the divisions; pour out your abundant mercy on your Church and your world both so fragmented and torn apart; this we plead through the love of Jesus Christ which already surrounds us.
Amen.
