Wednesday, November 7, 2018

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us….” (Hebrews 12: 1, New Living Translation)

                While digging into some of our family history, Susan discovered  the existence of someone in our family tree whom I had never known had existed, but who has played an unexpected role in our family, nonetheless.

This would be my Grandma Soble’s brother William Anson Smith. He was wounded during World War I in one of the major battles, dying a few days later of a gunshot to the head. We have even found a picture of my great uncle in his uniform through our on-line genealogical search. Grandma must have named my father, William Frederick, after him. Subsequently, our son, Nathaniel, also has “William” as part of his full name and we have a grandson also named William.  But little did we know that this was an unintentional tribute to this brave soldier. He was only nineteen when he was killed.

It adds another poignant level to this coming Remembrance Day. I also lost my uncle Russell Soble (Dad’s brother) during WWII.

Although memory of war and death leaves me profoundly sad at the tragic loss of good, young men and women who died for what they believed was a just cause, I am deeply moved when their stories, however unfortunately brief, remind us that these were men and women with hopes, dreams, families, and lives full of possibilities. They were real people living real lives. And their lives were cut short by the madness of war. (As an aside, I look at the video games that depict war games of various natures and wonder whether those who play them lose that perspective of the horrors of war when they so casually shoot and kill their enemies or can simply press restart if and when they lose.)

It is sometimes hard emotionally to relate to Remembrance Day until there is a name and a face which remind us that our own families have been forever affected by the loss of loved ones. War leaves us the question, “What if…”

The writer of Hebrews has spent all of chapter eleven extoling the virtue of faith as practiced by the heroes of our faith. Faith encouraged, emboldened, strengthened, enabled them to do and accomplish things that were very difficult and challenging. “By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them… Their weakness was turned to strength...” (Hebrews 11: 33-34) Others faced persecution, torture, and death, becoming destitute and refugees. They were all to be “commended for their faith” (11:39).

These heroes are lifted up to us to inspire us and motivate us to honour them with our own legacy of faith and courage in our own day and age. Let me express it the way that The Message Bible does: “Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit!” (12:1)

We may not be fighting on actual battlefields but we are engaged in struggles with evil and terrible wrongness and injustices all around us, or we need to face those who bring ruin and chaos into our lives and world, or stand against those who abuse power  or who take advantages of the weak and powerless, or speak up on behalf of the poor, the war-torn, the hungry, the homeless, the refugee, and the children. (I am dismayed and overwhelmed how little our political leaders are doing but talk about the severe, catastrophic starvation of hundreds of thousands in Yemen, mostly women and children. Shame on them all!)

So, thank you, Uncle William, for in knowing you even a little, I hope that my family can make you proud!

Dale