Remembrance Prayer

As today is Armistice Day, I felt inspired to write a prayer/poem in honour of the occasion...

Lord,
It is easy to say I remember those who gave their lives for our country.
I pin on a poppy, give two minutes silence, then back to my own life.
But how can I truly comprehend their sacrifice? The horror of war?
Yet, that is the real freedom for me, today,
That I will probably never have to fight in a war because my freedom has been won for me.

Lord Jesus, you won freedom for me, like those soldiers, at the cost of your own life.
And it's your cross that marks their graves now - pure, white, like a dove; the sign of peace -
The result of their sacrifice.
And yours.

I can imagine a teenage soldier in the trenches,
Shivering in cold and fear as he stands ready to go over the top.
Death is certain.
Maybe not his, maybe his comrades, or the enemy's by his hand,
And with them, his innocence.
He reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a crucifix...
He kisses the cross as a sign of his trust in you, Lord,
Remembering you before his possible death, as we now remember you,
And all those who died for us in your name.

Amen