Anzac thoughts

Yesterday, we went to church.  We go there occasionally, but not often.

We went yesterday because the topic of the day was Anzac Day, and Yeye was scheduled to talk for several minutes.  This is turning into a yearly tradition, where Yeye talks about the First World War -- it's the third year we have done this.  As always, he gave a great talk.

What got me thinking this year was that just before starting the Anzac Day topic, the church sang the song They will know we are Christians by our love.  I have no idea if the song was intentionally chosen in connection with Anzac Day, or if it was just coincidence.

But it got me thinking about what a person who was known for their love would have done 100+ years ago when faced with the outbreak of war.

Now, it seems to me, at least, that a young man filled with love would not have volunteered to pick up a gun to kill other people.

And it seems to me that respected community leaders who were filled with love would not have advised these young men to pick up a gun and kill other people.

Instead, it seems to me that a young man filled with love would have quietly and calmly said "no."  And respected community leaders filled with love would have calmly and clearly spoken and written out against the war.

In all seriousness, I wonder how much history would have been different if all Christians (on both sides), who are known to be Christian by their love, had calmly and lovingly said "no" to the First World War.  That they simply declined to pick up a gun and shoot it.  All those millions of Christian soldiers simply declining to participate.

Would that 100 years ago, all the Christians, who are known as Christians by their love, had been like Archibald Baxter.

And would that all Christians in the world today, who are known as Christians by their love, calmly say "no," and decline to participate in similar acts of violence.

(Last year, I wrote about going to the Anzac Day dawn parade.)