War Memorial

On Wednesday Mark and I visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.  I uploaded some of the pictures to my flickr account which can be accessed by following the link on the right panel of the blog.  In addition to a tranquil place of memorial, there is a museum which houses many replicas and actual uniforms, weapons, medals, planes, and stories from primarily the first and second world wars.  Although primarily Australian in focus, there is a unique international flair.  There are not only Australian relics, but many articles from Italian, German, and Japanese forces.  It emphasized the world-wide scale of the war and how great the impact was on all people.

As I perused weapons designed for maximum destruction of humans, armor, and equipment, I could not think of war in any romantic terms.  War is a terrible necessity sometimes brought upon a country or group of people.  It is a great tragedy that war comes at the immense cost of human life.  It is not only the man eviscerated or decapitated who personally experiences the pain of war.  He often left parents, brothers, sisters, a wife, and children behind.  War does, however, provide an opportunity for valor not displayed in times of peace.  In times of great conflict some men wilt and yet others blossom.  There was a painting and caption which commanded my attention.

 This is a painting by Dale Marsh (1940) depicting "Ordinary Seaman Edward Sheean, HMAS Armidale."  The caption reads:  "'Teddy' Sheean was a loader for an Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun on HMAS Armidale.  When the order to abandon ship was given, he made for the side, only to be hit twice by bullets of an attacking aircraft. 'None of us will ever know what made him do it,' wrote a shipmate after the event, 'but he went back to his gun, strapped himself in, and brought down a [Japanese] plane, still firing as he disappeared beneath the waves.'"  Here is the story of an ordinary man doing a most extraordinary thing.  His job was to load the gun, but when wounded he took it upon himself to strap himself in and fire upon the enemy.  He showed great courage even when faced with his own mortality.  Mr. Sheean took no thought for his own life, but gave himself willingly.

In war there are casualties.  People are maimed, disfigured, and carry with them injuries that will affect the rest of their lives on earth.  We are often insulated from the gritty horror of actual war and cannot comprehend the devastating emotional price paid by soldiers.  As Christians, we are part of a spiritual battle which threatens to destroy our resolve, drown us in temptation, and isolate us from accountability and fellowship.  When Christians stumble and fall into sin, instead of being moved to compassion with grace, other Christians often stand in judgment.  Can you imagine that if Seaman Sheean had survived the conflict he was given the "cold shoulder" by his mates because he didn't obey orders and abandon ship faster?  Ridiculous!  Sometimes people just need a hug!  Sadly we often stand in judgment of others when they face a divorce, fall prey to false teaching, commit suicide, or have views different from our own.  It is not for us to judge:  we ought to pray for compassion, grace, mercy, and truth exercised in love.  Christians experience pain too.  Sometimes there are injuries inflicted that we will carry for the rest of our earthly lives.  We will not "get over" certain things we have experienced:  but we can work through them.  We were never meant to dwell in the valley of the shadow of death, but pass through guided by the Good Shepherd.  Joy will come through our Savior as we walk in faith!

Our God promises times of refreshing by His grace.  How wonderful it is to dwell together with brethren in unity!  No man goes to war by himself, and God has not left us comfortless in the spiritual battle we find ourselves.  He has promised us the victory through Jesus Christ and has given us the Holy Spirit.  He has given us brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage, exhort, and travel with us through the hardships of this journey to everlasting glory.  The peace that God brings which passes understanding is just as real as the trouble life brings our way.  Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Jesus!  Let us be valiant to love as Christ does, and always labor to edify one another faithfully.