Today is Remembrance Day, and this year the remembering is even more poignant as we remember 100 years since the start of the First World War. The Tower of London memorial features 888, 246 poppies, commemorating every British fatality during the First World War:
When faced with such an overwhelming visual reminder of the loss of life during war, it is easy to lose sight of the individuals concerned. The truth remains that God knows each individual and loves them; He does not need such reminders, for we are engraved on the palm of His hands (Is 49:16). For all directly affected by war, there is no need for visual reminders, for the loss and scars remain with them permanently. But for the rest of us, especially those who are younger and who may have no personal experience of this kind of loss, Remembrance Day is especially important. The video attached to the link above only takes 1m 32 to watch, but is a powerful way of remembering.
War is a result of sin. Our hearts ache for all caught up in war, but we know from personal experience that sin hits us all and affects every single relationship we have. Dislocation, misunderstanding, intolerance and hatred are not 20th century phenomena or the result of governments alone. They are part of the sin-cursed life and only by God’s redeeming love can they be overcome. As we remember human loss and grief, we rejoice through our tears that God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and to each other and that He is building a new heaven and new earth where all grief, sorrow, death and weeping will be removed. We long for this day to come.