Father,

This Remembrance Day, we acknowledge that we are a people of memory. We trust you, because we remember who you are and what you have done. You have been faithful to act in history. We are a people of that history, that memory.

We as Christians first and Canadians second, take time to remember you, Father of all humankind, King of a kingdom greater than any nation, leader of a way higher than any of our values. Hallowed is your name.

Every human is your beloved child. We, Christians, confess to know you as a loving Father, knowing you have adopted us into the vision of your kingdom: a restored human family through Christ.

You sent us your son, our perfect brother, Jesus Christ, our king. He taught us the way of your kingdom: repentance, lament, humility, justice, purity, mercy, peacemaking, prophetically challenging our present with your future. Jesus died on a cross by the powers of religious, political, and military oppression. He died for his enemies with a perfect, self-sacrificing love.

You, first of all beings, made yourselves last for the least.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day to show that death and fear and oppression have been conquered not with might, but by your obedience, not with the bullets, but with your own blood.

Father, recommit us to this way for the sake of our neighbors, our nation, and all humankind, our global family, so that we might never take the life of a bother or sister.

We say that knowing that the world is a messy imperfect place. Wars continue to happen. We have supported our nation in the past in causes we hope were just. Canadian soldiers have fought wars to end all wars.

Impress on us the burden of remembering the awful cost of war: the lives of Canadian soldiers, as well as the forgotten lives of the soldiers our nation has fought against, as well as the vast toll of helpless non-combatants. Today we honor courageous sacrifices and lament war’s terrible losses.

We have fought wars to end all wars, but we know that it is only be your kingdom that violence will truly end. We work towards world peace, but we know true freedom is in your love. We know war will end when we turn our hearts to you, allowing your Spirit to undo our hate, our ignorance, our complacency, our desire for safety over sacrifice, for vengeance over reconciliation.

We pray for our soldiers, and more than that, all people in positions of authority throughout the world, who wield power and the capacity of force. We neglect the sacrifices of many police officers and firefighters. We thank you for every person that has entered danger, willing to sacrifice their lives to help another. Protect them, comfort their families, and inspire them to continue to act courageously always within the convictions of justice and mercy.

Send us your Spirit, we pray. Where we have held hurt and hate, move us to repentance. Where we have fostered ignorance, move us toward humility. Disarm our urgency for violence, and inspire us with the creativity for effective peacemaking. Invite us deeper into the work of kingdom building.

We long for the day when,

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

As the kingdom is near in the presence of the Holy Spirit, we seek to live that day today.

Come Lord Jesus come. Our world needs you. We need you, now and forever, amen.