Here’s a simple reflection prayer I wrote for my book Touching the Seasons. It reminds us of the debt we continue to owe to so many; of the sacrifice a generation made on our behalf; not to mention the courage and determination shown by countless service men and women in the years since.
The war memorial
It was a sorry sight
despite the poppies laid around it,
for the years had taken their toll,
moss and lichen covering the stonework
and the plaque tarnished,
green now with age.
Yet it represented a sight sorrier still:
fields strewn with bodies,
young men cut down in their prime,
unimaginable suffering and slaughter –
those who, unlike the memorial,
did not grow old.
Remind me, Lord,
lest I forget,
of the debt I owe –
the life made possible through the death of others.
Help me to cherish and nurture the things they died for –
liberty,
justice
and peace –
so that their sacrifice will not have been in vain.
Amen.