‘Lest We Forget’, even during a pandemic

The nursing sister who never forgot the wounded Canadians soldiers she cared for during the Boer War, the soldier who kept reliving the horrors of the attack at Vimy Ridge, the soldier who was wounded on the beach during the D Day invasion in the Second World War, the sailor whose best friend was killed during the Korean War, the Warrant Officer who was killed in action in Afghanistan, the young soldier who couldn’t overcome depression and took his life.

These Islanders who served as military members are all heroes, and they all share something else in common – they are all buried on Prince Edward Island.

Because of pandemic restrictions, military members will not be parading to memorial cenotaphs on Nov. 11. But they will still be honouring the service and sacrifice of Canada’s veterans.

Lt.-Col Glenn Moriarity, the commanding officer of the Prince Edward Island Regiment, has directed that, this year, on Remembrance Day his soldiers will fan out to cemeteries across P.E.I. and pay their respects in front of the graves of veterans.

We, too, can do the same. After watching a Remembrance Day service on television or on the internet, we can take a poppy or a wreath, a Canadian flag or a handwritten note of thanks and place it on the grave of a veteran in a P.E.I. cemetery. It’s a way we can honour those who sacrificed so much to secure our values and principles as Canadians and show that we have not forgotten them.

Pandemics may temporarily limit our freedoms and prevent us from gathering together to observe Remembrance Day, but they can never restrict or hinder our beliefs. As people of faith we know that nothing can block God from hearing our prayers, nothing can stop God’s presence from surrounding us, nothing can thwart God’s plan for our lives, and “nothing will ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). And we give thanks that Jesus was willing to suffer and die so that others might have life. He is the ultimate example of service and sacrifice.

And, so, on Remembrance Day, even though we cannot gather together, we can still take time to honour all those who offered themselves in service and were willing to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of us all. And we can also give thanks for Jesus who was willing to sacrifice Himself for all people, in all countries, across all time.

Our veterans served so that all Canadians could have a blessed life, and Jesus died and rose again so we could have eternal life.

May we never forget the debt we owe.

Major Rev. Tom Hamilton, Ph.D. serves in team ministry with his wife, Rev. Paula Hamilton, at St. Mark’s Presbyterian in Charlottetown. He also serves as senior military chaplain of 36 Canadian Brigade Group (Nova Scotia and P.E.I.) and padre to the Prince Edward Island Regiment and to Branch #1 Charlottetown of the Royal Canadian Legion. A guest sermon runs regularly in Saturday’s Guardian and is provided through Christian Communications.