Lamentations 3:20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Ah Friends, it’s lamentation time once again! The 11th day of the 11th month; what we choose to call Remembrance Day, when we remember those who gave their lives in wars; most of them, stupid, senseless and unnecessary, so that we can ostensibly maintain a safe, special way of life. But couldn’t most of the terrible slaughter been avoided? Who knows. World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars! Hn! The only thing that ended was millions of lives in muddy battlefields in Europe. Oh, it also ended the sort of gentlemanly way that war was still being fought, with simple armaments. World War II however, saw the introduction of atomic bombs and other high powered weapons. That still didn’t end wars. Up came the Korean and Vietnam debacles. Those still didn’t end strife. The only difference now is that we have them on a smaller scale, but in much greater numbers, with the terrorist or modern day guerrilla being magnified. Overt conflict has erupted in Bosnia and Rwanda, and is ongoing in places like Somalia, in fact, the whole Horn of Mother Africa, Thailand, Afghanistan, Iraq, between India and Pakistan, over the Kashmir standoff, in China, over the Himalayan territories, Sudan, the Congo, the Middle East…Chuh! That’s all we ever hear about these days; strife! Yet we claim to be the only creature God made with brains and sense! Steups! That’s a joke! No other animal kills it’s own for fun or profit. But mankind seems to thrive on war and strife. Some sarcastically deem it God’s way of controlling the population explosion. Regardless of how destitute or impoverished a nation or an economy, resources are always found to purchase arms. Arms manufactures have never been so enriched in a supposed time of peace. We’ve never been so technologically advanced and prosperous as now, but by the same token, the poverty and homelessness has never been this bad. We’ve never seen food banks and soup kitchens in the rich countries except in times of war. And every day a refugee camp springs up somewhere to house, sorry, house is the wrong word, to herd thousands of displaced people in even more disgusting conditions than those from which they ran. Some of these refugee camps have been ongoing for so long that it’s all the teenagers know. Friends, I have no answers. Possibly I’m being rather naive to ask ponder these things too. But that’s what the Lord has put in my heart. I’m sure of one thing though; times won’t get better until, or unless, the majority of mankind places their trust in the One, True God Jehovah. For He’s the only one capable of bringing us together in true Peace and LOVE! If we continue to do it on our own, we’ll surely face eventual destruction. Here are two bits of information that says it all. ‘In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky, The larks still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break the faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields.’ You all know that. It was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae M.D on May 3. 1915 after witnessing the death of his friend Lt. Alexis Helmer, the day before. You all know this too. ‘Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned. That until there are no longer first and second-class citizens of any nation. Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race. That until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained… And everywhere will be war.. ah say war…’ Bob Marley’s summation in song of Emperor Haile Selassie I speech in California in 1968. Yes Friends, until we live as God intended, as One, we’ll know ought but war and strife. Let’s try and do that with our generation nuh. Much LOVE! …only through God…will our children’s children know peace…
Ah Friends, it’s lamentation time once again! The 11th day of the 11th month; what we choose to call Remembrance Day, when we remember those who gave their lives in wars; most of them, stupid, senseless and unnecessary, so that we can ostensibly maintain a safe, special way of life. But couldn’t most of the terrible slaughter been avoided? Who knows. World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars! Hn! The only thing that ended was millions of lives in muddy battlefields in Europe. Oh, it also ended the sort of gentlemanly way that war was still being fought, with simple armaments. World War II however, saw the introduction of atomic bombs and other high powered weapons. That still didn’t end wars. Up came the Korean and Vietnam debacles. Those still didn’t end strife. The only difference now is that we have them on a smaller scale, but in much greater numbers, with the terrorist or modern day guerrilla being magnified. Overt conflict has erupted in Bosnia and Rwanda, and is ongoing in places like Somalia, in fact, the whole Horn of Mother Africa, Thailand, Afghanistan, Iraq, between India and Pakistan, over the Kashmir standoff, in China, over the Himalayan territories, Sudan, the Congo, the Middle East…Chuh! That’s all we ever hear about these days; strife! Yet we claim to be the only creature God made with brains and sense! Steups! That’s a joke! No other animal kills it’s own for fun or profit. But mankind seems to thrive on war and strife. Some sarcastically deem it God’s way of controlling the population explosion. Regardless of how destitute or impoverished a nation or an economy, resources are always found to purchase arms. Arms manufactures have never been so enriched in a supposed time of peace. We’ve never been so technologically advanced and prosperous as now, but by the same token, the poverty and homelessness has never been this bad. We’ve never seen food banks and soup kitchens in the rich countries except in times of war. And every day a refugee camp springs up somewhere to house, sorry, house is the wrong word, to herd thousands of displaced people in even more disgusting conditions than those from which they ran. Some of these refugee camps have been ongoing for so long that it’s all the teenagers know. Friends, I have no answers. Possibly I’m being rather naive to ask ponder these things too. But that’s what the Lord has put in my heart. I’m sure of one thing though; times won’t get better until, or unless, the majority of mankind places their trust in the One, True God Jehovah. For He’s the only one capable of bringing us together in true Peace and LOVE! If we continue to do it on our own, we’ll surely face eventual destruction. Here are two bits of information that says it all. ‘In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky, The larks still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break the faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields.’ You all know that. It was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae M.D on May 3. 1915 after witnessing the death of his friend Lt. Alexis Helmer, the day before. You all know this too. ‘Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned. That until there are no longer first and second-class citizens of any nation. Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race. That until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained… And everywhere will be war.. ah say war…’ Bob Marley’s summation in song of Emperor Haile Selassie I speech in California in 1968. Yes Friends, until we live as God intended, as One, we’ll know ought but war and strife. Let’s try and do that with our generation nuh. Much LOVE! …only through God…will our children’s children know peace…
SCRIP-BITS 