God Remembers by a Rainbow! 

“When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.”
Genesis 9:14-15 (NRSV)

I’m sure that you will agree that the sight of hundreds of thousands of ceramic poppies surrounding the Tower of London in a sea of red is an awesome sight but it is even more meaningful when we realise that each one represents a fallen soldier in the Great War. Lives given for freedom, our freedom, and offered up courageously, boldly and with valour not knowing what the next hour or day would bring.

Apparently poppies will flourish in the most ravished and inhospitable land, land that has been churned up and disturbed; so in the shell-thrashed fields of Flanders they gave a dash of colour to the place where thousands of men died covered in mud, midst the noise and horror of war. These delicate red flowers did, of course, have a big impact on the Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae who penned the poem “In Flanders Fields”. Such a moving and inspiring poem which has a powerful impact on all who read it and as you can probably guess it has been translated into dozens of languages over the years.

The Flanders poppy brings to our remembrance the consequences and the horror of war.  It in no way attempts to glorify or romanticise conflict but obliges us to take stock, to dwell on the price we pay for war in the loss of young, strong men and women who put themselves in harms way for others:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row;
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae

God too remembers and uses the colours of the rainbow to do so—he remembers all flesh here upon the earth—He has not forgotten us!

Prayer
Father Almighty, thank you for always remembering us here on planet earth and for understanding the difficulties we face.  Keep us from the folly of war and bring us peace through your amazing Son, Jesus.
Amen

Study by Cliff Neill

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About the Author:
Cliff Neill is an Elder in Grace Communion Church Luton.

Local  Congregation:
Grace Communion Church Luton
Farley Hill Methodist Church
North Drift Way
Farley Hill
LUTON
LU1 5JE

Meeting time:
Saturday 10:30am

Local Congregational Contact:
Harry Sullivan
Phone:  01908-582222
Email: harry_sullivan@wcg.org.uk