Reflections on ANZAC Day from Kay

A Verse or Two:

“For everything there is a season, a time for every matter unto Heaven………a time to love and a time to hate: a time for war and a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 8 from the Old Testament.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Anzac Day.  

As part of my course I am expected to take part in online forums and I would like to share with you some of my classmate’s thoughts on the theme ‘Anzac Day and Mission’.

“I am in awe when I run my eyes down the list of names on the memorial in our church of young men who died in battle, and I think; did they realise they were fighting and dying for me and my children as well as their own?” – C.

“As the death of Jesus on the cross gives us hope of eternal life, so the death of these young men gives us all hope for a better world in this life.” – D.

“We should honour those who gave their lives for us in battle and remember the sacrifices, but we should never forget to celebrate that their sacrifice bought us a degree of freedom as ultimately Jesus’ death brings us total freedom!” – R.

“It is usually those with some connection that attend Anzac Day services…. can it be that we offer the same connection for society in relation to Jesus …… that the understanding of Christ’s sacrifice is recaptured as we tell our own stories of how the cross has impacted our lives?” - L.

“If there is an increasing attendance by young New Zealanders at Anzac Day services, perhaps they are searching for a meaningful identity and shouldn’t we be telling them about the identity we have through Jesus Christ as being the most meaningful of all?” – S.

“Our children don’t know the horrors of war but do seem to get the sacrifice aspect. People died so that I am free. It is not until reading this forum that I even linked the concepts of Christ’s death – the sacrifice for me, although I believe Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.” - S.

To Pray and Ponder: Youth & ANZAC Day

Have you talked to the young people in your life about the impact of Anzac Day in both your life and theirs? What do they think about the soldiers who went to war for their country and how can you use this to help them understand God’s will for us?

Holy Father, give us wisdom to teach the young ones how the soldiers sacrifice for their country relates to your commandment to love one another even as Christ died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for us.