LEST WE FORGET TO REMEMBER
My family and I have
recently been required to pour over and sort through years of belongings,
photos, letters, and memories of loved ones who have passed away. It has been a
challenging process, in many ways heart wrenching, often confronting, sometimes
joyous. It has been as though we have entered the vaults of our loved one’s
lives. Their material lives are a testament of memories with stories,
histories, and intimacies to tell. Remembering is a powerful process, it can be
liberating and empowering.
SORTING THROUGH THE MEMORIES
During the Easter
holidays this year (the time I prefer to label “The Passion week”) my wife and
I spent much of our time we would spend in reflection, rest and recreation working
through about 35 years of our own archives, files, and ministry notes and
resources. This was a space and time-determined imperative. In the process we
needed to discern what was necessary to retain and those elements that would
need to be processed for shredding (including much confidential material). A
monumental experience after successfully filling four wheely-bins of discarded
material. Amongst all the archives we also discovered artifacts we have chosen
to retain as they are eminent memories. Emotionally charged. Important.
Relevant. Impactful.
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| The Australian Light Horse |
MEETING THE LAST LIGHT HORSEMAN
Amongst them was an
order of service that sparked a precious memory from twenty years ago.I had been invited with
my family to the birthday of Albert (Bert) Whitmore (1899 - 2002). I remember
being so honoured and proud of my son when he was blessed to shake his hand.
Bert was the last surviving Light Horseman and last surviving South Australian
World War One veteran. Having joined the service as a 17-year-old Bert joined
his fellow comrades in arms shortly after they had captured Beersheba in the
historic cavalry charge. Bert rode in the successful third battle for Gaza.
Allied victories soon led to the capture of Jerusalem. The rest - they say- is
history. Bert described the scenes he had witnessed as "like riding through the Bible". Israel
is an archaeological museum of peoples, and lives and stories and beliefs. In
the midst of the war, Bert had been graced to view with his own eyes the good
news places he had read of and heard about in Sunday School. Beersheba is the
place of cisterns in the desert where “The well of Abraham” can be seen on
numerous plaques heralding the narrative to visitors.
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| Author Shane Brigg at "Abraham's Well" at Beersheba in Israel |
CENOTAPHS, MEMORIALS, AND MONUMENTS
Today monuments and
cenotaphs are seen in this place too of the time Bert and his mates rode
through. In Jerusalem there are many
cenotaphs, memorial places, plaques, and archaeological sites of significance.
The most eminent and debated over is the burial place of the risen Jesus. The
word cenotaph is derived from the Greek kenos taphos, meaning
"empty tomb." A cenotaph is a monument, sometimes in the form of a
tomb, in our modern usage it is often utilized as a place of remembrance to a
person or group of persons buried elsewhere. Including our ANZACs.
LEST WE FORGET
Bert Passed away at the
age of 102. Soon after the opportunity our community had made to honour him in
life we then gathered for his funeral service which took place on the 31st of
October 2002. This date was also the 85th anniversary of the Battle of
Beersheba. I was honoured to attend this humble man’s graveside State funeral
service in the Barmera cemetery. It was a solemn, impactful, appreciation of a
servant-hearted man and his comrades who had laid down their lives. The words
“Lest we forget” resounded. The phrase simply implores that 'it should not be forgotten'.
We say or write 'lest we forget' in commemorations to always remember the
service and sacrifice of people who have served in wars, conflicts and
peacekeeping operations. A Bugle sounded. Bagpipes played.
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| Albert Whitmore. The last Light Horseman |
I visited that cemetery
several times over the years.
OTHERS NOT FORGOTTEN
Among the artifacts we
found as we cleaned up all those archives was the memorial service handout of a
ten year old boy's funeral that I had conducted at that same cemetery a couple of years
after Bert Whitmore’s farewell. I was his Chappy and Pastor caring for his
family over many years. I have kept that order of service. This was a difficult
memory to process. Especially considering that only a little while later I was
doing another service for his Dad who had passed away after his battle with
cancer. Bagpipes played at their funeral, but there was no bugle. The phrase
“Lest we Forget” was not announced for these two friends of mine. But they had
both fought a brave fight: one which is the battle of all young people to live
their lives, grow, learn, wrestle through the challenges, connect, love and be
loved by others and celebrate every heartbeat, the other was to experience the
same and to have lived and loved and fought a brave battle for health. Then to
have known the peace of God in the last hours as hands were held, prayers were
said. I will ever remember them as having fought the good fight of faith.
Sometimes this fight may have been faltering for them. Sometimes it was full of
glory. Remembering them is important. It helps to anchor my own life and be
thankful for the lives I have been honoured to know. It also deepens the
appreciation of those whom I have not known and yet who are important to
value and appreciate and take time to remember.
HONOUR TO OUR ANZACS
This ANZAC day we will
pause to remember our service people who have laid down their life and living to
secure peace in our world. Many have paid the ultimate price of their life in
sacrifice. No greater love. Lest we forget.
The phrase 'Lest we forget' is from a line in the1897 Rudyard
Kipling poem, “Recessional”:
"God of our
fathers, known of old,
Lord of our
far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose
awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm
and pine—
Lord God of Hosts,
be with us yet,
Lest we
forget—lest we forget!"
Remembering is a
powerful process.
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| Shane Brigg Chaplain Remembrance Day Service Prayers |
The memories that had been
catalysed by our archival cleanout over passion week have culminated in my
final thoughts here:
The opportunity to journey with
loved ones (like my family and friends), acquaintances and even people less
known to us but whose stories have had an impact on our lives (Like Bert
Whitmore) is a blessing.
The memories literally grounded
in the cemetery in Barmera are not just of deaths, but of lives and loves that
have touched my life. And Life goes on.
LIFE. LOVE. LIFTING JESUS .
The siblings, wife, family, and
friends of those who we had buried at the Barmera cemetery gathered at the
beautiful Lake Bonney near this landmark at the culmination of my tenure in
this region. It was for a baptism in its waters. As we remembered the saving
works of Jesus. No Greater Love has any one than to lay down their life for
their friends. And as those who went through the waters, we recognised that
this act was more than just a memorial of death. It was a living symbol of
Jesus having laid down his life he rose again to give us life. Life abundant.
The sister and daughter of that little boy and the dad who had passed away was
baptised.
There was no bugle or
bagpipes, but someone played a guitar and we sang.
"Lord, I lift Your name on high
Lord, I love to sing Your praises
I'm so glad You're in my life
I'm so glad You came to save us
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high."
(Written by Rick Founds).
We could have added a
stanza we might have borrowed from Kipling (my thoughts):
God of our
fathers, known of old, (and known to us)
Lord of our
far-flung battle line, (Our lives, our world, our time)
Lord God of Hosts,
be with us yet, (Jesus, you never leave us nor forsake us)
Lest we
forget—lest we forget!
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| Lake Bonney Barmera, South Australia |
The Passion week is a time for
us to remember. Baptisms are a mark on our lives to memorialise in our own
living Jesus death and resurrection. A testimonial of saving love. We do that
conscientiously and consequentially of our faith journeys. Jesus life and death
and resurrection has redeemed our past and marked and influenced our future. I
am grateful. Remembering is powerful.
The opening of the memorial
portal that was stored in all the archival and material elements that my wife
and I have kept and reviewed have meant that I have and will conscientiously
make time to remember my family and
friends. My loved ones and their lives. To tell and write more of their
stories. To bless. To heal. Those who have lived their
lives and touched ours in the past and their passing have marked and influenced
our future. I am grateful. Remembering
is powerful.
Love is a reminder that the
story of our lives is interwoven with those of others. The strongest reminder
is the greatest of love. The laying down of lives. Living sacrifices. Faith,
Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is love, and no greater love has
anyone than they lay down their lives for their friends. (1 Corinthians 13:13, John 15:13).
This ANZAC day I chose to remember. I chose to remember, appreciate, honour those who have served and have laid down their lives in times of war and conflict to secure a
future and peace for us. I am truly grateful.
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| Bert Whitmore Light Horse Memorial Barmera RSL |
On the 14th August 2022, on
Albert Whitmore’s birthday a memorial was unveiled by Tony Pasin MP &
Bert`s family at the Barmera RSL. The Plaque reads :
“Erected by the RSL Barmera Sub
Branch to celebrate Albert (Bert) Whitmore.
The last surviving
WWI Light Horseman”
The Front Inscription reads :
“L E S T W E F O R G E T”.
I won’t. I hope we all remember. Remembering is
powerful.
30 seconds later...Oops!
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