Lest We Forget

Every November 11th Canadians celebrate Rememberance Day. It's our way of expressing our gratitude for the men and women who sacrificed their lives to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy. But, as a German-Canadian, Rememberance Day has always been a bit of a bittersweet day for me. Because while others around me talk about grandparents who fought against Hitler in the second World War, I have to remember with shame the fact that my great-uncle was in the Hitler youth. So while November 11th has served as a monument to the best of human nature, it has also served as a reminder of the failure of genuinely good people to stand up to a corrupt system. It has served as a sober reminder to always make sure I'm in line with God's will, and to not be too hasty in judging fellow Christians who make mistakes. After all, as much as I would like to think I would have resisted Hitler had I lived in WWII Germany, I have no guarantees that I would have done so.

Lately, though, I've been having more and more trouble celebrating Rememberance Day. When it comes to war, Christians tend to fall into 2 camps: those who believe in just war and those who believe in strict pacifism. As I've examined the views of both sides and found that both were making excellent points and could find multiple scriptures to back them up, I've become increasingly confused as to what position I, as a Christian, ought to take. Furthermore, in the weeks leading up to Rememberance Day, a sociology professor who taught at my university was murdered. He was a devout Christian, and also a strong pacifist who was involved in the alternatives to violence program. To honor his memory, all sociology courses in the past 2 weeks have focused heavily on his work. I've grown to respect this gentle man and, by extension, his views. At the same time, having gone to a military high school, I also know and highly respect several Christian soldiers. So it got to the point where I felt like a traitor whether or not I wore a poppy. I had to seriously wrestle with questions like "Is war ever justified? If so, when does it stop being just? And if war is never justified, how do we stop men like Hitler?"

There are no easy answers to these questions, and I can't pretend to have any to offer even now. I guess sometimes God gives different people different convictions. Maybe some men are called to fight for what is right while others are called to present the pacifist side to keep soldiers in check and to make sure that war is used only when absolutely necessary. And maybe both sides need to extend grace to each other. Maybe the Christian soldier and the pacifist need to recognize that even though they disagree, they are still brothers in Christ. This world, and the wars that come with it, will not last forever. Heaven, however, will. I am so thankful that it isn't my job to decide whether a particular war is justified or not. I think God extends a special measure of grace to people who are forced to make such difficult decisions. But as I've thought about it, I've realized that no matter what position I end up taking on war in general, the soldiers deserve my respect. Many of them were doing what God has called them to do, and have sacrificed their lives out of a genuine desire to help the cause of peace and justice. They deserve to be honored for that, regardless of whether I think a particular country was justified in declaring war on another. And I think it does us all good to remember that greatest struggle is not against flesh and blood but "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12, NIV)

Most importantly, Rememberance Day is an opportunity to celebrate the greatest Soldier who ever lived, one who conquered Death itself so that we could have eternal life. It is this Man who is the common ground between all Christians, regardless on where they stand on the issue of war. And one day, this Man will reign and all wars will cease. That's something we cann all look forward to.