This is a time of memories; on 21st Oct we
remembered 50 years since the Aberfan disaster, where 144 people 116 of them
junior school children died when the coal tip collapsed. No doubt when my family get together to watch
Wales play South Africa at the end of November, we will talk of it - I remember
as a child climbing the tips overlooking Groesfan - my grandad’s pit in the
next valley. 100 years ago my other
grandad was guarding the Suez Canal a year after being evacuated from Gallipoli. So many memories and emotions are stirred
up at this time of the year, not just the big anniversaries but with all souls
at the start of the month we remember all whom we have loved who have died.
As a mining family it will be difficult for the emotions
that Aberfan will bring up in us to be separated from the memory of the events,
as it is difficult for me to think of Gallipolli without thinking of my grandad suffering in that hell
hole. On the TV program “Who do you
think you are”, when the celebrity discovers a long dead great-great relative
that they never knew about had a hard and difficult life - often they are
overcome with emotion because they are no connected to that moment in history
and it becomes real to them. Sometimes
it clouds their judgement of the times.
It is hard not to let emotion overwhelm us when we remember the
great events and tragedies that affected us personally and nationally, and it
is right we feel moved, that ability for compassion and identification with
other people is part of the image of God that we all carry, without it we might
be happy for the horrors of the pasts to be renewed, sadly in Syria and Iraq it
seems that is just what is happening.
As we will gather to remember this November all these things,
some personal, some as families and on the 11th as a nation, let our
God given ability to love and care reach out to all those who suffer as a
results of the wars, all those who carry the scars of the past in their hearts,
souls and bodies. Let our remembering be
an image of Christ in us, that reaches out and holds the broken hearted in His care and love.
Remembrance is a time for love, a time to cherish, a time to pray for
healing.
