The Revd Stuart P Turner, a United Reformed Church minister who has served as a British Army Chaplain since 2009, will be deployed overseas for Remembrance. In this reflection, Stuart gives thanks for those who have served with courage and selflessness 鈥� from Britain and the Commonwealth, past and present 鈥� while also lamenting the human cost of war and sharing the hope we find in Jesus.
Remembrance and the call to peace: A Christian reflection from a British Army Chaplain
Each year, as November approaches, our nation pauses to remember. We stand in silence. We wear poppies. We read the names etched on memorials and listen once again to the haunting words: 鈥淭hey shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.鈥�
For the Christian church, Remembrance is not simply a civic tradition; it is a sacred act of thanksgiving, lament, and hope. We remember those who served in the British Army and 两性色午夜 the Armed Forces 鈥� men and women who faced the darkness of war with courage and sacrifice. We remember too the countless civilians caught in conflict, the families who grieved, and all who continue to bear the wounds of body, mind, and spirit.
Thanksgiving for sacrifice
Jesus once said, 鈥淕reater love has no one than this: to lay down one鈥檚 life for one鈥檚 friends鈥� (John 15:13). Those words echo through the ages every time we remember the fallen. While war is a tragic reality in a broken world, we give thanks for those who chose duty and service over self-interest 鈥� who stood for justice, defended the vulnerable, and sought peace even amid destruction.
The British Army has often carried this weight 鈥� in two World Wars, in peacekeeping missions, and in modern conflicts that test moral and human endurance. Behind every uniform lies a story: a son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, or father who believed their service could help build a safer, freer world.
Lament for the cost
Yet remembrance must always include lament. War is never glorious; it is a mark of our human frailty. Every life lost, every wound endured, and every home left empty reminds us that violence is not God鈥檚 desire for creation. The prophets cried out for a time when 鈥渘ation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore鈥� (Isaiah 2:4).
In church, our remembrance must be honest 鈥� not only honouring bravery but also mourning the brokenness that makes war necessary. We pray for all who suffer still: veterans struggling with trauma, families separated by deployment, and civilians living in war zones today.
Hope for peace
The cross of Christ stands at the heart of our remembrance. It reminds us that God entered human conflict not with weapons, but with love. Jesus absorbed the world鈥檚 violence and answered it with forgiveness. Through Him, we believe that peace 鈥� true, lasting peace 鈥� is not only possible but promised.
When we lay our wreaths or bow our heads in silence this Remembrance Sunday and on Armistice Day, we do so not in despair but in hope. We look forward to that day when every tear will be wiped away, and swords will be beaten into ploughshares. Until then, we are called to be peacemakers in our own time and place 鈥� to honour the past by working for a better future.
A Prayer for Remembrance
Almighty God,
We remember before You all who have served in the British Armed Forces,
those who gave their lives for our freedom,
and those who still bear the scars of war.
Grant them rest, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.
Strengthen those who serve today;
comfort those who grieve;
and guide us all in the ways of justice and peace,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Image: the Revd Stuart Turner CF with 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment in 2016.