Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day. Remembering is good I figure. We cannot simply walk blindly into the future if we want to change but we also can't live a life marked by bitterness, where we point the finger at the 'others' who were the cause of all the death and suffering we remember today. Our act of remembering must be an act that is rooted in our desire to move from violence and chaos to this place which God is drawing us to. A place of order. A place of peace.

I think that for the church Remembrance Day should be more than simply remembering the ills of the world. Remembering the 'sins of war driven heathens'. No. For us, the church, we must remember a time when a part of us became entangled with nationalism. A time where nation came before gospel. An act that resulted in many Christians supporting genocide rather than serving those who were being persecuted.

This danger of nationalism mingling with the church is probably something we need to remember. In a time when our economy is in threat. A time when 'terrorism' is a threat. How do we act? Are we orientated in such a way that when push comes to shove we act as members of the state or members of the church? We as the church must act as people of faith, marked by Kingdom things such as love and forgiveness. The humanity which is practiced and seen within the church is to be different than that of the world. We as the church are explicitly called to something much higher than simply trying to eke out a living in this world. We are called to be people who love God and others.

3 comments:

Brandon Bertram said...

good stuff, greg.

gavin said...

"...when push comes to shove [do] we act as members of the state or members of the church?"

I'd quote that in front of someone smart, just so you know. Like Brandon said, good stuff.

Anonymous said...

very nice...