As the bells ring out remember the past, but find time to look to the future with hope

One hundred years ago it was the bells that let people know the news. The announcement that the Great War had ended could not trend on twitter or go viral in seconds. So it was that the church bells, whose use had been strictly limited during the years of conflict, rang out again to announce the peace.

In those days, most of the bell ringers were men and most of those men were away fighting. It is not surprising then to read reports from people saying that the bells had not been rung very well. However, that didn’t matter. People were not concerned about communicating well but in simply communicating. Over the years I have spoken to several people who were schoolchildren in 1918 asking them, “How did you know the war was over?” Their answer was always the same, “Because of the bells”.

It is appropriate then that tomorrow bells will ring all over the land to commemorate the centenary of the end of those hostilities. There has been a great recruitment drive in recent years to ensure that all the bells that can be rung will be rung. The ringing will begin with an air of solemnity with the bells being “halfmuffled”. This will change to a more celebratory tone after mid-day.

In a move that reflects the hopes and dreams of a century ago, countries across the world have been invited to join in the ringing to reflect the peace and friendship now, largely, enjoyed between nations.

The day, rightly, looks to the past. I hope too that there will be opportunity to look ahead with hope and anticipation. The “war to end all wars” turned out to be no such thing. Conflicts between nations continue to this day: it does not have to be this way. Somebody once wisely said, “The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart”. What better day then, as the bells ring out across the nation and across the world, to seek the God of peace who promises, “I will give you a new heart”?