Dear veteran, I saw you on Remembrance Sunday on the train. You had maybe travelled to the city for an act of Remembrance, and you were returning home now, gazing into the distance. I wondered what you were thinking, on such an auspicious day.
You were by yourself. Did no family member want to accompany you, as you made this Remembrance pilgrimage? Did no friend want to show their support? Instead you were there alone.
As you sat there so still, with your beret and medals, it highlighted the poppyless individuals around you. People laughing and joking, engrossed in their interests and activities, unaware that your service might have enabled their freedom. It felt poignant and sad. Your service seems unacknowledged and unwanted.
And dear veteran, what can be done to support you? What can we say? Maybe you have unsettling memories from the past, regrets from decisions made in the heat of battle, recurring nightmares and the heartbreak of fallen colleagues. So many things could be weighing on your heart.
We start by seeing you, noticing you and listening to what you have to share. We appreciate what you have done, we listen to your individual story- told honestly and including the moments of courage and hope, alongside the screams of anguish and night terrors. We listen, we do not judge, we hold the space and acknowledge that it is sacred.
We pray for you, quietly but consistently. Maybe we are not even in the same place as you, but we pray that you know you are seen and accepted, that people care about what you have been through. We pray for God to bless you and your loved ones, and for healing for you in body, mind and soul, for the best health care and support. We pray that you will have a beautiful community around you, and for you to find some kind of peace.
Some veterans have taken a human life as part of their deployment- what a weight that can be to carry. Maybe it was the result as an order given, you had no choice, but the memory often haunts you. We pray for you to be able to forgive yourself and others, and to find some solace.
In tbis season of Remembrance, we remember the vision of Micah chapter 4 where it says we should come to the mountain of God:
Who will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken”
This vision embodies our yearning for peace and justice. But sadly this world is full of people wanting to fight, for mineral rights, for power, for money and self agrandisement. And ordinary people often pay the cost. We pray for better.
Gracious God, we are thankful for this season of Remembrance, giving thanks for those who gave their lives in conflict and war, and considering also those who returned home wounded in body, soul and spirit, and their loved ones. In conflict there are so many casualties, military personnel, civilians caught in the crossfire, those who have to flee their homes because of mortar fire amd bombs. The list of human misery is too long. Lord Jesus, have mercy upon us as a human race, forgive us our pride and greed, our violence and cruelty. Help us ask You for wisdom, as to how to forgive and be forgiven, to learn to pursue justice and peace, to live with integrity and compassion. And we remember especially those who may feel over looked, especially the veteran with the untold story. Grant healing balm to all who wrestle with traumatic memories and soul wounds, and through your holy spirit, may we as a society treasure each person and look after them with dignity and care, in Jesus’ name, Amen
