Lest We Forget

ANZAC day is the most solemn day of the Australian year.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Over 100,000 Australians have lost their lives through war. Others, like my Uncle Francis, had their lives shortened because of injury. He breathed in mustard gas in WWI. Australian military personnel have sacrificed much since Federation and their sacrifice helped stop the likes of Hitler.

On 23rd February 1942 my dad was captured with the Tasmanian 2/40th Battalion. He would spend the next 3.5 years as a POW. Dad's faith remained strong during this time.

Before the war Dad worked in a glass factory and studied part time at the Baptist College in Sydney. Because of a failed marriage soon after the war he never got to be a pastor. He subsequently married my Mum and passed his faith onto his six surviving children. All of us have been engaged in full-time Christian ministry of one sort or another.

My youngest sister and her husband were missionaries to Japan. Dad and Mum supported them in this venture. Many of Dad's fellow POWs could not forgive the Japanese. But Dad was able to forgive and support his daughter taking the gospel to Japan. Dad carried the emotional scars from WWII with him throughout his life. Although he did mellow considerably from the father I knew as a child.

We have just celebrated the death and resurrection of our Lord. Jesus dealt with a greater enemy than any of our military personnel faced, sin and death. He was victorious. He fought the battle for us even though we were sinners. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Pastor Andy