Lest We Forget....
Jesus said, ‘Greater love has no one than this, to lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
At 11am on 11th day of the 11th month, the nation paused for 2 minutes and reflected with thanks upon the men and women who bravely paid with their lives for our freedom.
Our Ethos Ambassadors, plus Thrive, our bereavement support group, worked hard to make a beautiful poppy wreath from recycled plastic bottles, symbolic of both the lives laid down for our freedom and of building a brighter future for generations yet to come. They wrote the names of over 100 fallen Hartford servicemen on poppies to decorate the church, sold poppies for the British Legion and the whole school observed a 2 minute silence at 11am on Friday morning.
17 of our Ethos Ambassadors also helped to lead a service at Hartford Cenotaph at St John’s Church with our partner primary schools. There were readings, prayers, reflections and poetry with of course, the Last Post and a 2 minute silence. On Sunday, one of our Ethos Ambassadors laid a poppy wreath, representing our school at the big Remembrance parade.
Nobody wins in war. The devastation is huge, to family life, economy, health… and the rebuilding takes time, effort and endurance. We know only too well of the fragile world in which we are living and the many who are still suffering as a result of ongoing tension and conflict. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, and yet it is to the chaos and the suffering that Jesus came and willingly laid down His life that we might have reconciliation with God and peace in our hearts.
Poppies are a fragile reminder, and yet they bring colour and hope to all who see them. We look back at those who have gone before us, and give thanks for their lives. We look to Jesus, the Prince of Peace who gave his own life for us, and we look forward with hope, that we too might be bringers of peace, love and life to all around us.