11 November 2018, St Paul’s Anglican Church, Cooma, NSW, Australia
In 1914 there had been no war between the major powers since 1871, what was then a long period of 43 years. Generals knew war as involving horses, sabres and rifles, not machine guns, gas, massive artillery, trenches, aircraft, tanks and submarines. Statesman and politicians were no wiser.
WW1 began in confusion, miscalculation and stupid mistakes, pretty much by accident. 4 years later it finished in much the same way, on this day 100 years ago.
For 4 years, while statesman and generals blundered, the massed armies of Europe and its dominions writhed in a gruesome festival of mud and blood.
What effect did that essentially European conflict have on Australia? Let me put the figures into terms that would apply to today’s Australian population.
2 million people enlisted
310,000 were killed, and 780,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner, a total of around 1.1 million directly affected.
And let’s relate it to our town. In Cooma, of a total population of around 3200, at least 53 were killed, and about twice that number were injured or gassed. There are 22 names on the pillars of the Uniting church alone, one of 4 major churches in the town at that time. Brass plates on the walls of this church show the effect on those who worshipped here.
Imagine with today’s population of about 7000, if 112 mostly young men were killed, and 250 wounded, just from Cooma township.
Any wonder there are more than 3000 war memorials in NSW alone.
It changed Australia probably more than it changed Europe.
Australian troops were the highest paid of all the forces. Australians were sent home for bad behaviour in greater numbers than other forces. Gallipoli was a disaster. Even had it been successful, Churchill’s campaign would almost certainly not have shortened the war at all.
Soldiers were not always straight of limb and true of eye. They didn’t always die with their face to the foe. One cook at Gallipoli was blown limb from limb when trying to unload food for breakfast. Many died of infections. Often it was not heroic or at all romantic.
But some great things came out of this most appalling of wars.
Australia became a nation. In theory it had been so since 1901, but for the first time Australians fought as the Australian Infantry Forces, along with the Kiwis. In that way the defeat at Gallipoli was the real birth of this country. We grew up, and in a war involving our “mother country”, we cut the apron strings from it.
There were numerous examples of bravery and courage. In extraordinary circumstances, ordinary people can doextraordinary things.
And there was mateship. In adversity the bonds between the soldiers grew strong. Soldiers fought for each other.
The first stirrings of respect for first Australians started in WW1. Indigenous Australians were valued members of the forces, and fought alongside Australians of European descent...although they had to enlist as “half caste”.
Australia produced a General head and shoulders above the field in WW1 for intelligence and ability, John Monash. As a part time soldier and a Jew, he had to be much smarter and capable to achieve command... and he was.
Soldiers learnt that the propaganda was wrong...the enemy were human, not monsters. Respect grew for other cultures. An enemy General, Attaturk, taught us a great lesson when he said
“There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lay side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom, and are in peace...after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well”
Those words are now on an Australian memorial at Gallipoli.
Some wars are fought for freedom and democracy, and for the best of reasons. Remembering those who died in those wars is something most of us are comfortable with.
It is hard to make a case that WW1 was a just war.
But regard for those who risked and gave their lives should never be lessened by what we think of the righteousness of the cause.
It is simple really. We are a democracy. It is we who send troops to war, every one of us. If it is not we who go, then we owe a debt to those who do. It is right to honour them.
Remembering those who died, who were injured or who suffered from involvement with war should not , and must not depend on how we feel about that war.
It is right to honour and remember them. We do so today.
Sacrifice for others can be a reflection of the sacrifice of Jesus for us. John wrote “The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them”. If that is true for humans, how much greater it is for God, our creator, to treat us as friends and sacrifice himself...that is what John was writing about.
There are wonderful ideas in many religions and philosophies, but surely none as impressive as a God who is always with us, always cares for us, and comes down to our level to sacrifice himself for us.
In a moment we will pray.
We will rejoice and celebrate the end of the madness that was WW1. We will thank God for the peace that most of us have lived our whole lives in.
But the three word prayer of the soldier, scared and fearing for his life in a trench on the hideous Western front in WW1 is perfect on its own. All of us can use this prayer. Every day.
He said “God HELP us ”...there may just have been an expletive in there too...then he realized what he was saying and said ”God, help us.”
It became his daily prayer, said three times...”God, help us...God, help us...God, help us”.
You see he acknowledged God was with him even in the worst situation.
He acknowledged God cared for him.
He asked for help, for himself and for others.
He wasn’t in a position to overthink it, or say a long prayer. He didn’t even say what help he wanted. He left that to God.
But his prayer was just right as it was.
When things are tough in our own lives, let us turn to God. Let that be our simple prayer too.
Please God, help us.
Amen