Mother Nature co-operated for the Remembrance Day Service in Cobden on Tuesday.
Cobden Legion Branch 550 Colour Party led the parade of local veterans and current soldiers from Garrison Petawawa.
Wayne Bennett, president of Cobden Legion Branch 550, welcomed everyone to the Remembrance Day service and the laying of the wreaths.
Branch Chaplain Rev. James Min addressed the crowd.
My fellow Canadians, this morning we have gathered here once again, to remember those who have made supreme sacrifices for the sake of peace and freedom we now enjoy.
Some may wonder that what we are doing here on a yearly basis is somewhat redundant with not much meaning in it.
But, if you are a member of that family whose son or daughter had never come home from the wars in the past, it would never be too much to think about it or to talk about it.
The more we think of those who were called to serve our country in the conflicts zone, and those who never come home, the greater we have become obliged to make our home a better place to live than anywhere in the world.
As the unknown solder in Flanders Field challenged us, in crying out:
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
Yes, it is our solemn obligation to hold The Torch of peace and harmony high before the eyes of the world.
It was not only the wars in the past when the peace and harmony was broken, and the precious lives were destroyed, but even right at this moment, our nation is constantly challenged to keep it peaceful and safe.
It is certainly a challenge to keep our nation in peace and security, because there is someone who is always anxious to alarm us with such unthinkable behaviours.
Recently we, as a nation, had experienced it right at the heart of our country.
By such brutal violence, we were not only shocked, but also reminded that the task of peace-keeping is not only the job of the people in the military uniform or the politicians in the Federal Government — rather it is a mission for each and every one of us Canadians.
The place where the subject of peace is to be discussed and practised should not only be at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, but it should be in every home and work place of Canadians.
I personally believe that the key to making peace and harmony in our country is not to increase the number of guns, as our neighbour to the south often think.
Rather, it is to increase the spirit of love and compassion in our hearts, according to the guidelines described by God in the Bible.
According to the teachers in the Bible, in God’s point of view, each individual person is called to be responsible for the peace and well-being of each other.
Such brutal and inhumane behaviour can never be an answer to the human problem. Instead, it is an unreserved spirit of love and care for each other.
Today, while remembering the supreme sacrifices our predecessors have made for our country, let each of us step forward to hold the torch high, by brightening the faces of our own family members, especially the faces of the women, children and physically challenged people among us.
Let the world see how we, Canadians, are doing far better than those in the black masks, in making human lives live in peace and happiness.
Yes, we can do it, by looking after each other with the love our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us from the Cross.
May God keep our land glorious and free, both now and many generations to come. Amen.
Rev. Min’s address was then followed by the laying of the wreaths and then lunch and social time in the Legion.
