Church News Volume 3, Issue 3

Dear friends,

Why is Remembrance Sunday still kept? Some time ago there was a considerable body of opinion who thought that Remembrance should be dropped because it was too long ago, part of history that we remembered.

But since then there have been many other conflicts in which men and women have died, given up their lives in fighting for peace and justice. So we come to Remembrance Sunday with pride. We keep the day for peace. In praying for peace - as we most certainly do-we should remember that not all peace is good peace.

Nations and people can make peace, by surrendering to what is wrong; some nations make "peace" by brutally overcoming opposition, by slaughter, by repression. In our individual lives it is often a great temptation to take the easy way out, to accept the wrong way-and excuse ourselves by saying we do it "for the sake of peace".

Such a peace is not worth having, and will be most unlikely to last. We should pray for a just peace, for a fair peace, for a right peace. A peace based on surrender to evil is more hateful to the God of Justice than a war. When we pray for peace, let us remember too that our lord spoke of "peace" to His followers, meaning inward peace. That inward peace - which He possessed and still gives to us if we ask and deserve it - that peace was something which cannot be broken or disturbed by outward event.

It is a precious inward gift, and has enabled many to live through disasters, imprisonments, terror and every kind of trouble. The two kinds of peace are of course connected. The water of life supports the tree of life, and from that tree comes healing.

In other words, if we place our trust and confidence in God, we will gain inward peace; if all nations did the same, they would gain not only that inward peace, but the outward peace as well.

Revd Ian M. Finn

News Letter Archive.