Aphorisms, Poppies & Hope
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In Flanders Fields It's that time of year again. From October 31 to November 11, people wear poppies to remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives in various World Wars. Here in Canada, the conversation about prayer at Remembrance Day ceremonies heats up. But WHY? King George V began Remembrance Day ceremonies after WWI. It started as Armistice Day, to remember our fallen soldiers at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month, when the guns fell silent to mark the end of WWI. In 1914, most Canadian soldiers serving in the war were overwhelmingly from Christian denominations like Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians, and Methodists. In those days, an aphorism said, 'There are no atheists in foxholes.' It was widely held that in times of crisis or fear, soldiers cried out to a supreme being, God. Chaplaincy - The Horse is Out & The Stable is Locked. If we were to research the origins of the word 'chaplain', we quickly learn that a chaplain was the name given to the minister of a chapel... a clergyman of the Christian tradition. A chapel was a small sacred space, smaller than a church, set apart in an institution such as a prison, hospital or school for prayer. These traditionally refer to Christian or Catholic spaces. Pre-2013, military chaplains were all Christians. Prayers at military ceremonies like Remembrance Day were, by nature, Christian. That is because the Canadian soldiers who went to war were overwhelmingly from Catholic and Christian backgrounds. In 2013, the Military Chaplaincy of the Canadian Armed Forces issued a directive that if the chaplain was the only religious leader praying, the prayer should be 'inclusive' and respect 'diversity'. It should also invite those not disposed to Christian prayers to engage in personal 'silent reflection' during the prayer. This directive held until 2023. That year, the chaplain was the woke Brigadier General Guy Beslisle. He issued a directive about Remembrance Day ceremonies mandating that Chaplains not pray Christian-specific prayers using the term 'Heavenly Father' or 'In Jesus' Name'. Instead, they should engage everyone in 'spiritual reflection' that was inclusive, gender-neutral, and devoid of any references to the Christian God. Since then, various military bosses, like David McGuinty (the National Defence Minister), have just 'toed the line' and repeated the mandate. Unless we encourage our young men to become Christian chaplains again, we might as well grieve our Christian losses and move on. Remembrance Day 2026 However, this year, Faytene Grassechi has come up with a great idea: record a prayer, in Jesus' Name, to be incorporated into a montage to be shared and played on Remembrance Day. You will be sent the montage to post on your Facebook wall and ask your friends to repost. It is worth trying a substitute instead of doing nothing. If you are interested, click the link below. Record your prayer to add to the Remembrance Day montage here. Will it fix the problem and reverse the trend? No one knows. But greater things have been accomplished by the mass use of social media posts being repeated online. ------------------------------------ Biographies & Sales Check out our biographies on our website about two great Christians who left enduring legacies. The first is John McCrae, who left the legacy of the poem, 'In Flanders Fields'. This is engraved in marble and mounted on the back wall of the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower, where it will be visible once the renovations are complete. Because of him, the poppy is an international symbol of Remembrance Day. The second is John Andrew Pearson, who was responsible for Scripture verses engraved in stone, glass and brass in the Peace Tower. You can purchase the books, 'The Legacy of 25 Scripture Verses on Parliament Hill' and 'Our Biblical Legacy on Parliament Hill' from our store. Our store is under reconstruction. If you encounter problems, please call us at 647-514-6798. -------------------------------------- Watch for these Sales Get 10 % off these items until November 14 Get 15% off from November 15 - 30 Get 20% off from December 1 - 12 -------------------------- 2027 Calendars Pre-order until November 14 The pre-order price is extended until November 14, when I should have them. 1) If you enjoyed this newsletter, or learned something that someone else needs to know, then forward this email to them and ask them to 'Join The Community.' Until next time, |