ANZAC Day, fighting for freedom?

Yesterday in New Zealand and Australia we remembered ANZAC day, the day thousands of Aussie and Kiwi young men began to be sacrificed on the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during WW1. We remember and honour all those who have gone overseas to fight, those who did not come home, and those who came home scarred either physically or psychologically. 

I so struggle with this day. I am now the RSA chaplain and so have a role leading the dawn service. I am very happy to honour those who fought, who died, who came home forever changed, and those who were left behind in this land. It is important to remember them all. 

But when I listen to our news reporters talking about how they fought for our freedom I get so angry. WW1 cannot in any way be described as a conflict with freedom on the line. It was a war that should never have happened. And it made no difference to our freedom. It was simply about politics. In the end most of these conflicts were about politics not freedom. 

Each ANZAC Day we pray that we will not forget them. I wonder what it is that we are not to forget really? A friend of mine offered these thoughts

Forget what?
Organized murder?
The power of media
to depict and glamorize
violence and death
glorious to the extent that generations die
for the gains of an elite other
Oh yes - the sacrifice of those who risked
and gave of life in service ... by killing
or by being killed by neighbours
described by another as the other ...
... for the sake of someone
or other's game of empire.

So let us remember those who went and fought, those who died and those who came home, and those who remained here who waited and mourned. But let us also truly remember why they fought and died, without all the "freedom" decoration, really remember the stupidity and horror, and work hard to ensure that no others have to be pawns in others' disputes again.

So join me in our prayer for our ongoing work for peace built on justice.

God our help in the past and our hope for the future,

we come to remember those who have gone before us,

to celebrate their lives, to mourn their deaths,

to pray for those left behind; their comrades, their families, all who mourn

We come to give thanks for those who have laid down their lives,

to solemnly remember the wars we have endured,

and to strengthen our resolve to strive for peace with justice.

Be with us in our gathering, O God, hear us as we pray

and make us ever mindful of the continuing presence

of all those who have gone before.

This we pray in the name of your son,

who willingly laid down his life for the many

and called us to do likewise. Amen.