remembrance

Another full day with an early start and a late finish. So what's new?

Remembrance Day. Always a poignant day.

It's long since developed from what the day's origins were. The succession of conflicts across the globe, and the extensive media coverage there is, have long since combined to make the day a much more up-to-date and in-your-face occasion.

I'm along at the Royal High School early on. Their memorial door, and the memorial windows, too, which they have (all alike transported to the new school campus here these many years ago), serve as a lasting reminder of the former pupils of the school whose lives were ended all too prematurely in the two 'World Wars'.

It's more than a passing nod that the school gives to the day. It's an extended reflection and a solemn, deliberate marking of the sense of debt there is to those who gave (and give) their lives.

One of the local councillors is there today. His father was killed in action at the end of the second World War. It only serves to make the thing more personal still. The grief and loss remains, I guess, as real today as ever it has been.

From there I've a rapid dash across to the primary school for the first of their assemblies. I'm not there for the start today (I can't be in two places at once), but one of our elders has gone along and spoken about the poppies to the pupils there. I'm in time to lead the prayer at the end.

A quick trip back to the church, and then I'm back along the road to the school again. Assembly mark 2. This time it's the younger ones, the Primary 1s-3s.

They listen well on the value for the month. Creativity. A long and rather abstract word, but they seem to have got the gist of the thing.

The Head reminds them of the story he told the previous week.

An Australian farmer who sold off his farm because the years of drought had made the land unprofitable.

Many years later the man went back and found a thriving mining company there. They'd bought the land for next to nothing, dug down just that little bit further than the farmer with his ploughs had ever gone - and discovered great seams of silver.

If only the farmer had dug down just that little bit deeper, he'd have found this rich treasure himself.

The Head reminds them of the gifts of creativity they have. Dig down deep to discover them in yourself, he says.

The backdrop to it all, of course, (which doesn't get mentioned) is that we're made in the likeness of God, the great Creator: we're made to be creative.

Back to the church where I'm meeting with folk.

Then back to the school for the SU group. Today I get them to think a bit about Christmas. Their responses are more than a little interesting. One lad draws a picture of three crosses and spells it out that Jesus came to die for our salvation. Sometimes children grasp profound truths with astonishing clarity and simplicity.

I've got a lot of preparation still to do (and I'm starting to wonder when on earth it's going to get done) and a whole load of people to see as well. My afternoon is more than occupied.

And at night it's off to The Lot for the Men's Meal. Almost thirty of the men from the church are there. A lovely meal and a great chance to chat. Relaxing and very refreshing. And the after-dinner speech to do at the end.

'God and humour' is the title I've been given. I thought the man who organised the thing was my friend. Now I'm beginning to wonder, with a title like that!

I speak about just why and how God laughs. And why it is that 'laughter' is our middle name.

Looking back on the day I can see it's all about people. Pupils at the school today. People from the past. People with the problems which they're facing at this time.

Remembering. People are what the gospel is all about.