“Christ is literally in no-man’s-land, there men often hear his voice…” Wilfred Owen (1893–1918)
This famous quote by the poet, Wilfred Owen, came from one of the many letters he wrote during the Great War. Writing to his mother in 1917, Owen reflected on the horrors of war, and what he saw as the hypocrisy of certain church leaders who blessed the war effort, often without giving thought to the suffering in the trenches, nor questioning why the war was being fought in the first place.
Owen was wounded in battle, and spent some time convalescing, before returning to the trenches, even though he had the option to return home. Although he was highly critical of the war and of the propaganda surrounding it, Owen believed that his place was with his men on the front; focusing on the image of Christ on the Cross, Owen wrote, “but they who love the greater love, lay down their life; they do not hate”. Wilfred Owen’s idea of Christian sacrifice was rooted deeply in the principles of love and grace, rather than in the noisy jingoism and empty patriotism which he had so often heard from the pulpit.
Nothing much changes; in our world today we are often deafened by the voices of hate and division; contrasting voices, each convinced that they alone are right and that this justifies violence. As horrific as this is, I think we must also remember that Christians are sometimes also guilty of wrapping the cross in the myth of redemptive violence, claiming that God the Father explicitly sent Christ to suffer and die on the cross, when in reality it was the sins of humanity which sent him there.
Inspired by the words of Wilfred Owen, I believe that Christ is still with us, especially with those who suffer, and that his sacrifice is rooted in his grace and love, through which we not only find forgiveness, but also the strength to live our lives in the same spirit of love and grace.
On Remembrance Sunday we will gather to remember those who have given their lives during times of conflict. We do so in the knowledge that war is sometimes inevitable, and that those who go out to fight need our prayers and our support. We also gather to commit ourselves to the ways of peace, grace and love, inspired by the selfless sacrifice of Jesus and those who have given their lives since.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15: 13
| Worship on Remembrance Sunday – 8th November Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances the Remembrance Sunday Service in Tinwell will now take place at 2pm, and not in the morning as previously stated. I am deeply sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this will inevitably cause. Dean. St. Mary’s Ketton 10.15am – Remembrance Sunday Service, followed by refreshments in the Railway Inn. All Saints Tinwell 2pm – Remembrance Sunday Service |
