Remembrance Day and the 1000-year-old Rose

The 11th of November is marked as Remembrance Day and most of us are aware of the history attached to this auspicious day. It is always a good practice to pause and remember the impact of war; to be thankful for the freedom's won; to mourn the millions of lives lost; to ponder whether we have learnt anything from these cataclysmic events; to pray that we will never allow them to occur again.

I recently finished a remarkable book on the Second World War, and I came to learn about the 1000-year-old rose (see the picture attached). This rose is also known as the Rose of Hildesheim, and it grows on the apse of the Hildesheim Cathedral, a Catholic cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany. Some scholars believe it may have been alive even as far back as 815 AD which is truly phenomenal. 

The reason I am mentioning this remarkable rose is because during the Allied bombing of Hildesheim in 1945, a large portion of the Cathedral was destroyed, including the visible part of the rose. All seemed to be ruins, until a while later, the rose began to grow and blossom again. It stands over 20 meters tall to this day. 

As a Christian, I believe that we should reflect on the tragedy of war, death and disaster with a different perspective. Of course, we are not immune from the pain and heartache of this broken world, but we should always hold onto the hope of the New Life in Christ. The Resurrection speaks to this truth, every day of our earthly existence.

Let us remember, that just when all seems to be lost, Christ can still bring renewal and life. 

Titus 3:5 - "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Remember, remember the 11th of November!

As I child, I distinctly remember the phrase, "remember, remember the 5th of November." This was always said in conjunction with Guy Fawkes, and it was such a catchy little ditty that I still remember it to this day. 

However, as today is Remembrance Day, I would like to offer a variation of the phrase and encourage us to sing: "remember, remember, the 11th of November!"

It is always good to pause and remember all who can gone before us, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. In many ways, War reminds us of the evil of humanity (on one hand), while also teaching us about the resilience of human beings. Sadly, we never seem to the learn the lessons that War teaches us and, even today, we feel the global impact of another war - the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

“There are perhaps many causes worth dying for, but to me, certainly, there are none worth killing for.”
― Albert Dietrich

Remembrance Day is also a moment where I stop to consider what Christ has done for me. Jesus took the worst that humanity could throw at him - including my sin - and paid the ultimate sacrifice, in my place. For this, I am deeply grateful and indebted to him. As I remember this, I pray that my response is not one of apathy but rather is motivated to honour what He has done for me. 

Wouldn't it be a miracle if all humanity could remember the pain, loss and destruction of War and then commit to never repeat that evil again? 

Isaiah 2:4 - "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. 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."

Living in Grace

D3LM3