ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University
ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University
REMEMBRANCE DAY 1993 John R. S tephenson Among Margaret Thatcher's rnirior achievements i.; lo be included her having delivered this morning's preacher from growing cynicism about Remembrance Day. My middle daughter's second name was given in honour of HM the Queen, but she is rialiied in I'irst place al'Ler Lhe great stdtesman of out. time who still dwarfs craven politicians and spinclcss technocrats as Britannia, Elizabeth I, and Winston Churchill all rolled into one. Peter Mansbridge didn't know what hit him on Monday evening when Baroness Thatcher afforded him the sort of trcatmcnt she used to give Argcntinian battlcships. For twenty blessed minutes? airwaves routinely polluted with mendacious mediocrity were puril'ied by well-founded convictions comm~~nicatcd with clarjty and courage. Brief exposure to Lady Thatcher made one realise that there are political and cultural values worth fighting and dying [or; so we do well to remember with reverent gratitude the valiant fighting men of this Dominion who died in frccdom's cause bctwccn 1914 and 1918 and 1939 and 1945. If Margaret Thatcher had been queen of the south, King Solomon would gladly have switched roles and sat at her feet; but not cvcn Baroncss Thatcher can dispel all the cynicism that gnaws at my heart in connection with Remembrance Day. It used h be customary, at eleven o'clock in the morning of this eleventh day of November, to observe two minutes' silence in honour of thc Commonwealth's war dead, at which juncture some words written by Laurence Binion were ol'len pondered. They shall not grow old a\ we that are left grow old. Agc shall not weary them, nor thc ycars condcmn. At the going down of the sun and in the mor~ling, we shall remenlber tlie~n. Uttered at Lhe right time arid in the right place, these lincs are apt to soar to the loftiest heights of rhetoric; but when chccked out against hard reality, they ring sadly hollow. For one thing, we do not remember those who died to secure our liberty. For anolher, they would undoubtedly have considercd the onset of old age a blessed possibility. It is uncthical to romanticise as heroes conscripted, frightened men, who in many cases, had no idea for what they were fighting. However green and welltrimmed their lawns and howevcr bright their rows of crosses or stars of David, military cemeteries are the most melancholy of graveyards. No gleaming Victoria cross can assuage the heartbreak of widows and orphans. While the notion of thc just war may be a nice theory, it simply fails to fit the facts of the vast majority of armed conflicts. Worst of all, you usually couldn't pass a lie detector test when you say or the fallen that they did not die in vain. The war to end war that endcd at clcven o'clock on the morning of November 11,1918 fuelled yet more war. Four years after the Beslin wall came down, you have to be tern~inally stupid to believe there is going to be such a thing as a peace dividend. Along with the poor, war and the nlmour of wars will be
LUTHERAN TIHEOLOGICAL REVIEW always with us. All the horieyeci rhetoric in the world cannut relieve one-thousandth of the miscry which war will continuc to bring. It is so unfair that, at any rate bcfore he moved outdoors to join the animals, Nebuchadnezzar had all the powes; that the Pharisee basked in all the prestige; and that the hreast-beating tax collector has been such a marginal figure in human affairs. even though he was vouchsafed more wisdom than Nebuchadnezzar and the Pharisee combined. Yes, one can grow cynical when one considers how, if it had suited his purposes, Ncbuchadnezzar would have pinncd a poppy to his lapel and sombrely laid a wreath on the tomb of Babylon's unknown soldier. But ... we have more than thc indomitable Margarct Thatcher to rescue us from cynical despair. All the cultural and military and political battles of this life take place in the context of a higher warfarc. God became Man to fight and prevail for us against our enemies. The Word became flesh to give all the baptised a commission in IIis army. God took our nature upon Him so that He might lead us into battle with the powers of hell and givc us victorics which will stand forcvcr. Laurcacc Binion's prose starts Lo look less than adequate when it is changed from the plural to the singular and applied to our Lord Himself. IIe shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary Hmi, 1101 the years condemn. At the gomg down of the sun and in the morning, WC shall rcmcmber Him Remembrance Day awakens painful memories even when we limit its scope to those who I'e11 in a just cause. Should we extend its compass to include also those who died as instruments of tyranny, we stir up a hornet's nest. Bcttcr by far to remcmbcr our blessed Lord, because on Calvary He purified the memory of God of all the bad things which He would otherwise remember 01' us. Jesus was not trapped between the rock of conscription and the hard place of the deserter's firing squad; He willingly accepted conimand ol' the hosts of God in order to reconcile us with our Maker and to reclaim His own crcation. Of Him it cannot bc said that He died in vain, for His death defeated hell and opened heaven. He never got a headstone, because His grave was so soon emptied. And for the hest part of' Iwenty centuries He has been rnasterrninding and leading a rclcntlcss scrics of assaults against every pathetic holdout where Satan presumes to plant his flag as he retreats headlong toward the lake of fire. Sweet sounds of victory are heard already as Neb~~chadnezxairs move hack indooss to rejoin mankind and beat their breasts and submit to the gentle reign of God. Those sounds grow in volume when the children ol' God get their lives together to His glory and go onto the offcnsivc for what is true and right in education and politics and along the whole battlefront of the life issues. And there will be no perfunctory two minute silence but only shrieks of anguish ;md deafening shouts ol' triumph when our Lord reappears in glory and the saints of God chase the enemies of Jesus down thc boulevards of hell.
- Page 4 and 5: LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW Volume
- Page 6 and 7: EDITORIAL FOREWORD FOREWORD This is
- Page 8 and 9: E. EDWARD HACKMANN: AN APPRECIATION
- Page 10 and 11: TOWARDS CONSTRUCTING A SPIRITUAL FA
- Page 12 and 13: E~win A. Brcsc: BLOOD AND WATER 11
- Page 14 and 15: Erwin A. Brese: BLOOD 4ND WATER APP
- Page 16 and 17: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINNER OR SAINT? Jo
- Page 18 and 19: John R. Wilch: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
- Page 20 and 21: John R. Wllch: ARRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
- Page 22 and 23: lohn R. Wkh: ABKAM 1.U EGYPT. SINNL
- Page 24 and 25: John R. Wilch: ARRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
- Page 26 and 27: John R. Wilch: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
- Page 28 and 29: Jolul K. Wilch: ABKAM IN EGYPT: SIN
- Page 30 and 31: Thornay M Winger 4lJGSBlJRG CONFESS
- Page 32 and 33: p Tlloma~ M Wmgei: AUGSBURG CONFESS
- Page 34 and 35: Thornas M. W~nge~. AUGSUUKC CONFESS
- Page 36 and 37: Thornas M. Wmger: AUGSRllRG CONFESS
- Page 38 and 39: Thomas M. Winger: AUGSBURG CONFESSI
- Page 40 and 41: Thomas M. Winser: AUGSBURC CONFESSI
- Page 42 and 43: Thomas M. Wingcr: AUGSBUKG CONFESSI
- Page 44 and 45: Thnmas M. Wlngcr: ArGSBLRG CONFESSI
- Page 46 and 47: Bruce G. Schuchard, Scripture Withi
- Page 48 and 49: Koger J. Humann: SCRIPTURE WITHIN S
- Page 50 and 51: Roger J. Humann: SCKIP'I'URE WITHIN
- Page 52 and 53: Matvm M Mcit7 THE KTUGDOM OURS REMA
- Page 56: John R. Stephenson: REMEMBRANCE DAY
LUTHERAN TIHEOLOGICAL REVIEW<br />
always with us. All the horieyeci rhetoric in the world cannut relieve one-thousandth<br />
of the miscry which war will continuc to bring. It is so unfair that, at any rate bcfore<br />
he moved outdoors to join the animals, Nebuchadnezzar had all the powes; that the<br />
Pharisee basked in all the prestige; and that the hreast-beating tax collector has been<br />
such a marginal figure in human affairs. even though he was vouchsafed more wisdom<br />
than Nebuchadnezzar and the Pharisee combined. Yes, one can grow cynical when<br />
one considers how, if it had suited his purposes, Ncbuchadnezzar would have pinncd<br />
a poppy to his lapel and sombrely laid a wreath on the tomb of Babylon's unknown<br />
soldier.<br />
But ... we have more than thc indomitable Margarct Thatcher to rescue us from<br />
cynical despair. All the cultural and military and political battles of this life take place<br />
in the context of a higher warfarc. God became Man to fight and prevail for us against<br />
our enemies. The Word became flesh to give all the baptised a commission in IIis<br />
army. God took our nature upon Him so that He might lead us into battle with the<br />
powers of hell and givc us victorics which will stand forcvcr. Laurcacc Binion's prose<br />
starts Lo look less than adequate when it is changed from the plural to the singular and<br />
applied to our Lord Himself.<br />
IIe shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not<br />
weary Hmi, 1101 the years condemn. At the gomg down of the sun<br />
and in the morning, WC shall rcmcmber Him<br />
Remembrance Day awakens painful memories even when we limit its scope to<br />
those who I'e11 in a just cause. Should we extend its compass to include also those who<br />
died as instruments of tyranny, we stir up a hornet's nest. Bcttcr by far to remcmbcr<br />
our blessed Lord, because on Calvary He purified the memory of God of all the bad<br />
things which He would otherwise remember 01' us. Jesus was not trapped between the<br />
rock of conscription and the hard place of the deserter's firing squad; He willingly<br />
accepted conimand ol' the hosts of God in order to reconcile us with our Maker and to<br />
reclaim His own crcation. Of Him it cannot bc said that He died in vain, for His death<br />
defeated hell and opened heaven. He never got a headstone, because His grave was<br />
so soon emptied. And for the hest part of' Iwenty centuries He has been rnasterrninding<br />
and leading a rclcntlcss scrics of assaults against every pathetic holdout where Satan<br />
presumes to plant his flag as he retreats headlong toward the lake of fire. Sweet sounds<br />
of victory are heard already as Neb~~chadnezxairs move hack indooss to rejoin mankind<br />
and beat their breasts and submit to the gentle reign of God. Those sounds grow in<br />
volume when the children ol' God get their lives together to His glory and go onto the<br />
offcnsivc for what is true and right in education and politics and along the whole<br />
battlefront of the life issues. And there will be no perfunctory two minute silence but<br />
only shrieks of anguish ;md deafening shouts ol' triumph when our Lord reappears in<br />
glory and the saints of God chase the enemies of Jesus down thc boulevards of hell.
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