Friday, November 11, 2011

NaBloPoMo 11: Remembering

1321011668628

It's remembrance day today. I had a training session at Sandham Memorial session, and was invited to come early to attend the rembrance service. This chapel has fantastic murals painted by Stanley Spencer and was built in the 1920s as a memorial to a solider, Lieutenant Henry Willoughby Sandham. Sandham fought in the same Macedonian campaign as Spencer.

The images are startling and disturbing, and I adore the main image of the resurrection when soliders are climbing out their graves and carrying their grave crosses away. Christ is a tiny figure in the top of the painting, sat down, collecting the crosses from the soldiers as they pass by. I love the fact that Christ is in the midst, a friend, not a triumphant warrior king.

The service had a moment where we were asked to write our prayers on poppies. The end of the service was conducted outside where we hung our poppies on one of the trees, and then sang our final hymn.

I prayed for peace. I've been wearing my white poppy and my red poppy together like last year. A red one to show my thanks to those who fought for my freedom, and a white one to show my commitment to a peaceful future.

 

 

 

 

No comments: