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“Lest we forget”. As we approach Remembrance Day, it’s a reminder that women and men gave their lives to secure peace and freedom. It’s a reminder that in our fractured and sinful world, great sacrifices have been made. It’s a reminder that war, conflict, terror, suffering, and death can sometimes only be defeated by enormous sacrifice. We never want to forget. So we wear poppies – symbols of remembrance, symbols of gratitude, symbols of hope.

But sadly we do forget? We take these sacrifices for granted. We become accustomed to the freedoms and way of life we enjoy, forgetting that they were often achieved at great cost. In the same way, sadly, poppies are discarded. We drop them, we lose them, we forget them.

This November 11 – Friday – let us honour those who died for us. Let us stand in silence at 11.00 am for 2 minutes and remember.

At the same time, I wonder if we forget the cross – or at least take the cross for granted. We become focused on many other things: how to be a good parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, child, colleague, neighbour; how to be gracious, patient, thoughtful; how to act wisely, with compassion; how to persevere through tough times. Yet, all of these depend upon our connection to Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus and his sacrifice become the example of how we are to live.

1 Peter 2:23-24 say, “When they [Jesus’ persecutors] hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

The cross shows us how to live for Jesus – his sacrifice becomes our example. We must pick up our cross, die to self, and follow him. We cannot forget the cross or take the cross for granted. It is our way of life.

This Remembrance Day let us remember and give thanks for those who gave their lives to secure peace and freedom. And let us never forget or take for granted the love of Jesus and his death upon the cross for you and me.

Wear your poppy with gratitude and humility. And thank God for his Son Jesus, for as John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum

 視頻大意翻譯(Brief video Chinese translation):

“永誌不忘”是我們在國殤日時會看到的一句話。 它提醒我們去記住那些在敵對和邪惡面前，為了和平與自由獻出生命的人們。 提醒我們這個破碎而罪惡的世界所帶來的巨大的犧牲。 也提醒我們，戰爭、衝突、恐怖、苦難和死亡有時需要付出巨大的代價才能戰勝。 我們想要永誌不忘。   所以我們會戴上虞美人——它代表銘記，感恩，以及不再見證恐怖戰爭的盼望。  

但我們確實會忘記，不是嗎？ 我們會認為這些犧牲是理所當然的。 我們習慣了的自由，和我們所享受的生活方式，忘記了它們往往是付出巨大代價才能實現的。同樣，虞美人也會被可悲的丟棄。 我們把它们掉在地上，弄丢它們，忘記它們。就像 我們太容易忘記那些獻出生命的人。  

這個 11 月 11 日 - 星期五 - 讓我們銘記。讓我們緬懷那些為我們而死的人。讓我們在上午 11 點靜默站立 2 分鐘並紀念他們。  

同時，我想知道我們是否忘記了十字架——或者至少認為十字架上的救恩是理所當然的。我們会去專注於許多其他事情：比如如何成為一個好父母、祖父母、配偶、兄弟姐妹、孩子、同事、鄰居； 如何變得親切、耐心、周到； 如何以慈悲智慧行事； 如何在艱難時期堅持下去。 然而，所有這些都与耶稣在十字架上的牺牲紧密相关。 耶穌和他的犧牲成為我們生活的榜樣。  

彼得前書 2:23-24 說：“他被罵不還口．受害不說威嚇的話．只將自己交託那按公義審判人的主．他被掛在木頭上親身擔當了我們的罪、使我們既然在罪上死、就得以在義上活．因他受的鞭傷、你們便得了醫治。”   十字架向我們展示了如何為耶穌而活——他的犧牲成為我們的榜樣。 我們必須背起我們的十字架，向自我死，並跟隨他。 我們不能忘記十字架或認為十字架是理所當然的。 它是我們的生命之路。  

在這個国殇日，讓我們記住並感謝那些為和平與自由而獻出生命的人。 也讓我們永不忘記或轻视耶穌的愛和他為你我在十字架上的死。   请帶著感恩和谦卑的心戴上你的虞美人。 並因着神的兒子耶穌来感謝上帝，因為正如約翰福音 15:13 所說，“人為朋友捨命、人的愛心沒有比這個大的。”  

让我们祷告。