As I sat through a candle-light vigil in London on the evening of Monday, August 4, to mark the centenary of the First World War (WWI) (1914-1918), my heart was full – full of pain because of all the armed conflict/wars that are being waged in our world at the moment.
On August 4, services were held around the world, including at Westminster Abbey, where from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. the lights dimmed one by one until only a single oil lamp was left burning on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Across the country, lights were turned off during this hour in most public buildings, offices, and in many homes, with each leaving a single light or candle to mark the moment the UK entered WWI.
One just has to ‘Google’ “List of on-going armed conflicts” or “List of Wars: 2011-Present” to realise how desperately our world needs the intervention of each person of goodwill to heal it. Between 9–10 million people died during WWI – truly, a war of attrition. About 20 million were wounded. Too often we forget the many men and women from the Commonwealth and other countries who fought in this ‘Great’ War. In The Black Presence in Britain, it is stated:“After centuries of slavery and servitude, people in the British Caribbean were relishing their freedom, though many had a lot of loyalty to the ‘Mother Country’. When WWI began, West Indians donated large sums of money to aid the war effort and also volunteered to fight for Britain, joining The British West India Regiment…. By the end of the war, over 15,500 West Indians had joined the BWIR and had experienced military service in England, Italy, Egypt, India, France, Belgium, Palestine, Mesopotamia (Iraq) and East Africa… As well as Africans and Caribbean soldiers, there were also Asian soldiers fighting in WWI. India sent over 1 million men to aid the War effort. At that time India included Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka. Soldiers were from many ethnic backgrounds such as Pathans, Sikhs, Muslims & Hindus.”
Sadly, although this bloody war was thought to have been ‘the war to end all wars’, all that has happened over the years is that humankind has used its ‘talents’ to make more and more treacherous devices to kill each other. In WWI many died in the trenches – engaging the ‘enemy’ face to face. Today, the use of drones means that one can attack from a safe distance.
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“In his journey into the ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Joseph Conrad wrote, ‘One comes to hate those savages … hate them to the death … Exterminate all the brutes!’… Enemies are faceless and nameless. Killing can be controlled nearby or from half a world away. Each drone system includes multiple UAVs, a ground station, satellite link and launch site maintenance crew.
“Rotating ones are on standby 24-hours a day for missions on a moment’s notice. Predator drones sanitise killing on the cheap. Disturbing questions are unanswered. Secrecy, unaccountability and lawlessness matter most. So is the huge number of civilian casualties. …Ordinary people suffer most…Murder Inc. is ugly business anywhere for any reason.”
I commend Living Water Community/Trinity Communications Network for their programming during the months of July and August on “Healing the Soul of the Nation”. On August 26, from 8 p.m. – 9 p.m., CCSJ’s Parish Link Coordinators will focus on this theme in our monthly Ask Why programme on Trinity TV. Please view this live programme and call in to share your views.
As we approach T&T’s 52nd Independence Day celebrations, we all recognise that while we have much to celebrate, we still have a long way to go to build a just society/world. The social justice principle of Solidarity requires each of us to address injustices around the world. If we commit ourselves to our watchwords and to regenerating the morals and values of our own society, we will be more likely to achieve our goals.
As each of us lights a candle for peace, let us pray: “Heal our world, Lord, heal our world, and start with me.”
