聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Each Remembrance Day Canadians pause to remember the abundance of sorrow in war, the abundance of horror in war and to acknowledge dreams of peace, Rev. Stephen Ruten, chaplain for the Kamsack branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, said in his homily during the Remembrance Day service in Kamsack.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓very year on this day, we pause to honour and remember the men and women who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace, and especially the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice,鈥� Ruten said. 鈥淲e will remember them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reflecting on the abundance of sorrow in war, Ruten quoted a chaplain who had written to the sister of a soldier:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�業t is with real sorrow that I write this letter, for it brings you, I am afraid, very bad news about your brother鈥� I cannot tell you how sorry I am鈥here is not one who doesn鈥檛 feel his death as a personal blow. Everyone thought so much of him and admired his fine sturdy character and his unfailing cheerfulness. He was鈥� a fine example to all鈥 wish I could help to soften the hardness of your sorrow. There is one comfort at least in knowing that he gave his life in a sacred cause fighting for right and justice. It is the greatest sacrifice that a man can make.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen we read those words, can we think of some way to apply these personal words of comfort to the families of all those, whose names were called out in the Honour Roll today?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�榃ar has caused us grief and cost us the finest among many a generation but we acknowledge the need to protect and defend liberty,鈥欌�� Ruten said, quoting Chaplain-General Stanley Johnston.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�楾he true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him,鈥欌�� he said, quoting G.K. Chesterton.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淩omans 13 refers to those who bear arms to protect and defend liberty as 鈥楪od鈥檚 servants鈥� or 鈥榤inisters.鈥� And I give public thanks to each one here who has served faithfully to protect and defend.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Remembering the abundance of horror in war, Ruten said that nearly two-thirds of military deaths in the First World War were in battle, whereas in previous conflicts most deaths were due to disease. During the First World War, the Spanish flu cased about a third of total military deaths.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ruten quoted Wilfred Owen, who described a battle in poetry, and Don McLean鈥檚 song The Grave, which described a 20-year-old in the horror of battle, and then said that 100 years ago this year the Canadian John McCrae penned the following words on the end result of the horrors of war:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�榃e are the dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved and now we lie in Flanders fields.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here are horrors in war that must not be forgotten.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Acknowledging dreams of peace, Ruten said that John Lennon had imagined many things, including 鈥淚magine all the people living life in peace.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he conflict that started just over 100 years ago was supposed to be 鈥榯he war to end war.鈥� That became a catchphrase in the First World War. David Lloyd George is supposed to have retorted: 鈥榯his war, like the next war, is a war to end war.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣eville Chamberlain said there would be 鈥榩eace in our time鈥� by his signing a piece of paper in 1938 with Hitler.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he prophet Jeremiah had no good words to say to those who were out of touch with the truth in promoting false hope. He wrote in Jeremiah 6:14, 鈥楶eace, they say, when there is no peace.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n the passage from Isaiah鈥� a time is coming, the prophet said when 鈥榯he wolf will live with the lamb鈥� the infant will play near the cobra鈥檚 den and the young child will put its hand into the viper鈥檚 nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚saiah described again a time when 鈥楬e will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he song that came from the slaves of America captured this future in these words: 鈥楪onna lay down my burden, down by the riverside; I ain鈥檛 gonna study war no more.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s God created the universe by the word of His mouth in the beginning, so rebel nations will be brought into submission by the powerful word of Christ,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 be sure to note that Jesus says there is an end.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗istory, like all good stories, has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the Bible is very clear that as the end draws near, the focus of the world will be on the Mid-east, indeed on tiny Israel, where the Saviour of the World was born.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Saviour who died in humiliation for the sins of the world will return in glory,鈥� Ruten said. 鈥淚n all our dreams of peace, it is Christ who is our hope.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The service had begun in the Victoria School auditorium shortly before 11 a.m. on November 11 with the march on of the colours with Legion branch members Lynn Baillie, Judy Green, Diana Belovanoff and Dianne Smutt.
After the singing of O Canada, Jim Woodward, branch president, read the Honour Roll, which was followed by Ralph Cuervo on trumpet playing of The Last Post. After two minutes silence, Cuervo played Reveille and then Woodward recited the Act of Remembrance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ruten said the opening prayer and then the Kamsack Community Choir, under the direction of Susan Bear, led in the singing of O God Our Help in Ages Past.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Wreaths were laid on behalf of 37 groups and individuals and the representatives of each were escorted to the front of the hall by two members of the Kamsack air cadet squadron.
The Candle of Remembrance was lit and the choir rose to sing A Prayer for Peace.
Rev. Nancy Brunt and Gwen Reilkoff read scripture (Isaiah 11 6-10 and Mathew 24 3-8).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Following Ruten鈥檚 homily, the choir, with Marilyn Marsh at the piano, sang In Flanders Fields. Ruten said the closing prayer, God Save the Queen was sung and, playing the bagpipes, Keri Lindsay led the colour party off the stage and out of the room.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Frank Airriess was the parade marshal and 2Lieut. Karen Bodnaryk was in charge of the Kamsack air cadets.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Members of the Kamsack Legion invited persons interested to accompany Legion members to Togo for a service in front of the Togo Cenotaph at 2 p.m. and the Remembrance Day supper was served at the Kamsack Legion Hall at 6 p.m.
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