Some Thoughts on Crete - honouring those who have gone before

Mount RSA – 75^th Anniversary of Battle of Crete

Readings:

Reading:          Isaiah 2:4       

           

What I want to say:

What does it mean to commemorate this battel? Isit enough to just remember it? Or is it something more? Suggests it is to work for a world where no more young men and women need go off to fight in foreign lands, where swords are into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more

The Sermon

     1.     Introduction:

Ki te matekai tou hoariri, whangainga

ki te matewai, whakainumia

Tihei Mauri ora

I am John Hebenton

Vicar of St. Georges Anglican Church

Gate Pa

on the hill of Pukehinahina by Mega mitre 10 on Cameron Road

Scene of one last battle of New Zealand land wars

Battle helped create our city

like battle remember today

filled tragic stories

and stories courage and grace

     2.     The Battle of Crete

Today we gather remember the Battle of Crete

Dramatic, 12 day Battle

Involving New Zealanders, British, Australian and Greek troops, assisted by Cretan civilians.

Many of those evacuated from Greece to Crete.

Battle that saw out of 7700 New Zealand troops

2000 taken prisoner; 671 died.

today we honour courage and tenacity of all those who fought in that battle.

remember those who died

those taken prisoner

We remember cost born by Navy in evacuation of Crete

Cost paid by local Cretan communities

Also remember many Germans who died in this battle.

This battle involved more than these

we also remember and give thanks for the work of the Red Cross amongst those taken prisoner

We remember those who were physically wounded and physically and mentally disabled by this battle and battles that followed.

We give thanks for the nurses, doctors, all those worked to ease pain and save lives.

Finally we remember the parents, wives, brothers and sisters, children and sweethearts left behind – families changed forever, even when their men came home.

In light of all this

Is it enough to just remember and give thanks

Is there something more we need to do?

     3.     WWI

Very aware that we are in middle of WWI centennial commemorations

these WWII commemorations are lost in the midst of these

many ways is appropriate

while we honour those involved in this battle

and in all battles of WWII

as they fought against the evil tyranny of Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan

shadow of WWI

            helps us remember that the seeds for the rise of Hitler sown in the decisions made by politicians during and after WWI,

            The Great War

            War that was supposed to be the war to end all wars

sadly became the vehicle through Treaty Versailles

            created conditions that led to war we remember today.

     4.     How then to honour them

How then do we honour all those who we remember today?

couple of weeks ago we celebrated mother’s day

            -  follows date of American Mother’s Day

Origins of American Mother’s Day often described as been in work Anna Jarvis

Following her mother’s 1905 death,

conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honouring the sacrifices mothers made for their children

Origins of Mothers day go back even further to her mother and others

Mother of Anna Jarvis - Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia

In the years before the Civil War (1861-65), helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.

These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War.

In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

mothers day was not about honouring mothers, but mothers working to repair damage created by war

others went further.

            another precursor - Julia Ward Howe - abolitionist and suffragette.

Wrote Battle hymn for the Republic

decided the best way to honour those who had died was to help create a world where no more sons and husbands had to die in war

In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace.

from 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.

Here in this country – wives and mothers of WWI soldiers created the white poppy campaign in the early 1920’s

It was not enough to simply remember their sons and husbands who had died or come back irrevocably changed

            for them the war to end all wars needed to be just that

            for their loss to have any meaning

                        work needed to be done to make war part of our history, not our present

     5.     Pukehinahina

At St. Georges we honour story of battle that happened on our site

not just to remember it

but so that we might learn from it

work to build a better future for all in Tauranga Moana.

Mindful words of Isaiah 2

² In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
³   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more.

Perhaps the way to continue to honour those involved in Battle of Crete

            to honour their memory

is work create world of justice and peace for all

starting here in this land

in hope held in Isaiah

no more will need to fight as those who fought in Crete had to.

where war is part of our history,

but no longer part of our present.