Remember To Remember

Look closely.

As we age, our memory dims, particularly our short term memory. Do you remember your fifth birthday, or when the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series, or the tragic car accident that brought death to a stranger? We remember events that have wrought changes in the world, and/or in our lives.

“We will remember” are foundational words for Remembrance Day. We remember that Canadian men and women gave and are still giving their lives in an attempt to ensure that others here and in far off places might live with dignity, free from oppression and violence. Why must we remember?

Remembering will push us to live well in the present. Remembering will enable us to value individuals – strangers and family- as God’s precious creations. Remembering will help us to let go of prejudice. Remembering will encourage us to teach love, not hate. Our precious freedom is fragile. Every day on the news, we see the devastation and pain that comes with war. We are not isolated. We do not live on an island, secure from the evils of this world. Lessons of love and acceptance are essential.

Remembering will give birth to giving thanks, giving thanks for the incredible blessing of life here in Canada. Remembering will ensure that we work for a future of freedom, not just for ourselves, but for our world.

When standing at the entrance to the promised land, Moses instructed the Hebrew people to remember God and all that God had done for them in the past, so that they would keep God’s commands and ”that it may go well with you and your children after you, and you may live long in the land the Lord God gives you for all time.” (Deuteronomy 4:40)

Remember to remember on Nov. 11th and every day.

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