Go - Went

Memories of the Past

Lord, my eyes are always ever before me.

There is never a point in time when my eyes have caught a glimpse of the past.

They are forever positioned forward and gaze towards the present things which are.

Did You intentionally fixate my eyes in this manner, Lord?

It seems strange, that the positioning of my eyes symbolically represents my anticipated hope of being with You, Lord.

Yet, my memories, on the other hand, provide a bridge to the past. A bridge which vividly captivates the stories of my youth, the times of loving joy, and even those memories of grief, loss, and pain.

Today marks the 77th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II.  I invite you to reflect on the past, rather than the present fixation of our eyes. Let us meditate on the legacy of the Pearl Harbor.  

The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Connecticut) rests on the Quinnipiac River. It is more commonly known as the Q bridge.

(Courtesy of New Haven Register)

On December 7, 1941, America went to war. The American government was placed in an uncompromising battle against the Axis forces (Germany and Japanese forces), as a result of a surprise military attack led by Japanese forces. In his declaration of war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that December 7 will a date in which Americans “live in infamy” due to the severe casualties of American troops in Pearl Harbor. More than two thousand soldiers were killed and another 1,178 were injured as a result of the bombings. The memories of war are complicated: survivors share stories of their victories, fears, and the horrors in which they have seen. However, the testimonies of the victims of war remain unheard. The Church is called to bear witness of Christ’s love and presence throughout history, even in times of war. Today, we pray for the soldiers of Pearl Harbor with confidence in the Lord and of His promises of salvation and deliverance from the horrors of war. We pray especially for those heroes who went to be with our Lord on December 7, 1941, and entered into His rest. We also commend our America leaders who made a courageous decision to protect its people and to liberate the innocent victims of the Holocaust, by declaring war against Japan and its Nazi allies.  

Post by Shancia Jarrett

Moments of Peace

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Scripture:  Proverbs 16:7  "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him."

 By Ann Perrott

 I have always loved reading history, especially on different wars the US has been involved in.  In most cases I am amazed, perplexed and even angered over why we went to war in the first place.  World War I is an example of a war that made no sense at all.   Everything I have read on it makes me realize how hungry some people are for war.  Freedom from conflict can be a very insecure time for some men.  I read once that Churchill was provoked during peace time when he was very young.  He would be hopeful for an upheaval somewhere in the world.

  On Christmas Eve, 1914 though, men on the British and German sides of the trenches were craving peace.  It has been reported (unofficially), that on the evening of December 24, 1914, British soldiers heard German troops along the Western Front singing Christmas carols and saw some decorated fir trees in the light of their trenches. Then, one man on each side began shouting messages back and forth.  Soon, when they trusted that the other side would not shoot, they gathered together, sang carols, drank together and played soccer.  Of course this would not last.  By Christmas day each side was back in their trenches and fighting resumed.

  Those moments of peace were sacred moments.  Any time human beings can stop violence and hate—no matter how short lived, it is sacred.  This is the humanity that God created, one where mankind can realize that we are all the same, we grow up the same, we have families the same and we want to be loved the same. These young men did not ask for the war they were made to fight in, and I cannot imagine what it was like to pick up a rifle again after that peaceful evening and get back into the mind set of killing again.       Yet, one holy night in 1914, young men came together for the common good and there was peace in that place even for a little while.

Pearl Harbor Anniversary

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By Ann Perrott

Isaiah 2:1-5

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.

On December 7, 1941, my Uncle Herb was serving in the Navy at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  Just before 8 AM he was awakened by bombs exploding onto battleships in the harbor.  He ran out of his barracks and could not believe his eyes.  Thick black smoke was everywhere, so too were hundreds of men running towards the water.  They knew men had been sleeping on the ships, and wanted to get to them.  The scene was surreal for him and for so many others.  It would be a memory he would never be able to get out of his mind.

This year is the 75th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and as events take place to honor those who sacrificed their lives and those whose lives were changed forever, I have been thinking about how the commemoration of Pearl Harbor is juxtaposed with the season of Advent.  In 1941, the second Sunday of Advent was being commemorated on December 7—the very morning people were awakened to the rising of an Imperial Sun.   I can only imagine how congregations across the country and even in the world were feeling that frosty Sunday morning as they ventured out to church. The onslaught of a horrific war, young men and women going off to foreign lands to serve their country, leaving loved ones left behind for an unknown length of time.  The fear must have been palpable that morning.

A few weeks later people would return to their churches to celebrate the birth of an infant born to two young Jews who would eventually have to leave their homeland in search of safety. In both circumstances life looked pretty grim, but time would bring peace to nations and the infant Jesus would bring hope to the world.  This hope is what most generations have to hold onto.  Every time bombs fall, or people are forced from their homes, we cannot lose hope.  Jesus’ message of the love and hope God has to offer us in times of terror is there for all of us.  

Isaiah’s message is a balm for those who suffer from conflict and a clarion call for us to agitate for an end to war.