kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth» War

The Apple of Love

Paul Sibley — Sat, 28 May 2011 08:00:47 +0000

This is one of those stories that I vaguely remembered hearing something about, but never really knew it fully — I think I’d only caught the back-end of a news report, or possibly even a snippet of the tv programme mentioned in it. So I was I was pleased, and moved, when I came across this.

The Apple of Love

On a cold day in 1942, inside a Nazi concentration camp, a lone, young boy looks beyond the barbed wire and sees a young girl pass by. She too, is moved by his presence. In an effort to give expression to her feelings, she throws a red apple over the fence – a sign of life, hope, and love. The young boy bends over, picks up the apple. A ray of light has pierced his darkness.

The following day, thinking he is crazy for even entertaining the notion of seeing this young girl again, he looks out beyond the fence, hoping. On the other side of the barbed wire, the young girl yearns to see again this tragic figure who moved her so. She comes prepared with apple in hand.

Despite another day of wintry blizzards and chilling air, two hearts are warmed once again as the apple passes over the barbed wire. The scene is repeated for several days. The two young spirits on opposite sides of the fence look forward to seeing each other, if only for a moment and if only to exchange a few words. The interaction is always accompanied by an exchange of inexplicably heartening feelings.

At the last of these momentary meetings, the young boy greets his sweet friend with a frown and says, “Tomorrow, don’t bring me an apple, I will not be here. They are sending me to another camp.” The young boy walks away, too heartbroken to look back.

From that day forward, the calming image of the sweet girl would appear to him in moments of anguish. Her eyes, her words, her thoughtfulness, her red apple, all were a recurring vision that would break his night time sweats. His family died in the war. The life he had known had all but vanished, but this one memory remained alive and gave him hope.

In 1957 in the United States, two adults, both immigrants, are set up on a blind date. “And where were you during the war?” inquires the woman.

“I was in a concentration camp in Germany,” the man replies.

“I remember I used to throw apples over the fence to a boy who was in a concentration camp,” she recalls.

With a feeling of shock, the man said, “And did that boy say to you one day, ‘Don’t bring an apple any more because I am being sent to another camp?’”

“Why, yes,” she responds, “but how could you possibly know that?”

“He looks into her eyes and says, “I was that young boy.”

There is a brief silence, and then he continues, “I was separated from you then, and I don’t ever want to be without you again. Will you marry me?”

They embrace one another as she says, “Yes.”

On Valentine’s Day 1996, on national telecast of the Oprah Winfrey show, this same man affirmed his enduring love to his wife of forty years.

“You fed me in the concentration camp,” he said, “You fed me throughout all these years; now, I remain hungry if only for your love.”

The darkest moments of one’s life may carry the seeds of the brightest tomorrow.

Bring near the day when wars shall cease

Paul Sibley — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Today, the 14th November, is Remembrance Sunday. There will be many Remembrance parades and Church services around the country, even though more emphasis is being put onto Remembrance/Armistice Day, 11th November, itself again. I think both days are a really important part of our remembering, and learning from, the past, in the hopes that one day we will bring near the day when wars shall cease and poverty and pain shall end.

War, and defence, are incredibly expensive. I’m not politically astute enough to comment on the cuts we’re facing here in the UK, and how they will impact on our armed forces and defence policy. But if we can do something to reduce the huge economic costs of war and defence, then maybe we’ll be in a better position to bring about the end of poverty and pain too. War does much to increase poverty and pain; maybe ending it will do as much to reduce them.

Over recent days, and today, we have done much to remember those who have died, and are still dying, in times of conflict. Let us also remember what it was they were ultimately fighting for — peace. And let us, each and everyone of us, recommit ourselves to achieving that goal — let us continue to strive for peace in our world.

As I mentioned last Sunday, the Collects for last week and this week have been swapped.

God, our refuge and strength,
bring near the day when wars shall cease
and poverty and pain shall end,
that earth may know the peace of heaven
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect for The Third Sunday before Advent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

Revive in us new hope

Paul Sibley — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 09:00:35 +0000

The Collects for the next two Sundays are swapped around. Normally Remembrance Sunday falls on the Third Sunday before Advent, which is this week. But this year it is next Sunday, The Second Sunday before Advent. Because of the wording in what would have been this week’s Collect, which is very much geared towards Remembrance, permission is given in Common Worship to swap them, which is what I’m doing here.

In the next week or so we’ll be spending a lot of time remembering the past, and remembering specifically some pretty horrific aspects of that past. We do need to remember those things, and to learn from those mistakes.

Alongside those memories there has been a lot happening in the present that isn’t so good, particularly the economic problems we’re all facing. But it’s all too easy to get so caught up in remembering the bad things, and the current problems, that we begin to lose sight of the Christian hope. The memories of the past, and the problems we face in the present, can depress us, and rob us of our futures — the future that people fought to give us.

Christian hope doesn’t mean living in the clouds while we dream of a better life. It isn’t just a projection of what we would like to be, or what we’d like to do. Because of the identity of our God, and because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Christian hope leads us to discover seeds of a new world already present today. It’s a source of energy to live differently, not according to the values of a society based on the thirst for possession and competition.

Hoping means first of all discovering in the depths of the present a life that leads forward and that nothing is able to stop. It also means welcoming this life by a “yes” spoken by our whole being. As we embark on this life, we’re lead to create signs of a different future here and now, in the midst of the difficulties of the world, seeds of renewal that will bear fruit when the time comes.

That’s the hope we pray will be revived in us in this Collect for the Second Sunday before Advent. With that hope flowing through humanity the whole of creation can be healed.

Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world’s salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect for The Second Sunday before Advent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

Revive in us new hope

Paul Sibley — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Alongside those memories there has been a lot happening in the present that isn’t so good, particularly the fact that we’re still losing soldiers in war and the economic problems we’re all facing. But it’s all too easy to get so caught up in remembering the bad things, and the current problems, that we begin to lose sight of the Christian hope. The memories of the past, and the problems we face in the present, can depress us, and rob us of our futures — the future that people fought to give us.

That’s the hope we pray will be revived in us in this week’s Collect, on this Second Sunday before Advent. With that hope flowing through humanity the whole of creation can be healed.

Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world’s salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect for The Second Sunday before Advent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

True Friend

Paul Sibley — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:00:02 +0000

True Friend

I found this story really quite moving. I was left wondering if I would have the courage to be such a friend.

As with so many of these I have no idea whether it’s a true story or not; but don’t think that matters too much.

True Friend

Horror gripped the heart of the World War One soldier as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the “no man’s land” between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.

“You can go,” said the lieutenant, “but I don’t think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away.”

The lieutenant’s advice didn’t matter, and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company’s trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend.

“I told you it wouldn’t be worth it,” he said. “Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded.”

“It was worth it, though, sir,” said the soldier.

“What do you mean; worth it?” responded the Lieutenant. “Your friend is dead”

“YES, Sir” the private answered. “But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, “JIM…….., I KNEW YOU’D COME.”

† † †

Many times in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not, really depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not regret not doing it later in your life. May each and every one of you be blessed with the company of TRUE FRIENDS. A true friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out. War doesn’t determine who’s right. War only determines who’s left.

Revive in us new hope

Paul Sibley — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:00:21 +0000

Revive in us new hope

In the last week or so we’ve spent much time remembering the past, and remembering specifically some pretty horrific aspects of that past. We do need to remember those things, and to learn from those mistakes. Alongside those memories there has been a lot happening in the present that isn’t so good, particularly the economic problems we’re all facing. But it’s all too easy to get so caught up in remembering the bad things, and the current problems, that we begin to lose sight of the Christian hope. The memories of the past, and the problems we face in the present, can depress us, and rob us of our futures — the future that people fought to give us.

That’s the hope we pray will be revived in us in this week’s Collect, on this Second Sunday before Advent. With that hope flowing through humanity the whole of creation can be healed.

Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world’s salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Second Sunday before Advent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

Bring near the day when wars shall cease

Paul Sibley — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:00:40 +0000

Bring near the day when wars shall cease

My instinct is that, following the momentous events of the past week, the world has moved a little closer to the day when wars shall cease. But I have to say straight away that I’m not the most politically astute person around, and on the whole, don’t get particularly interested in the realm of politics. So I could be being swayed heavily by one of the most inspiring speakers I’ve heard in a long time. Nevertheless, my instinct says we’ve made a move towards peace.

But, even if Barack Obama does try to lead the USA on a more peaceful path, and we in the UK continue to tread the same path, it’s still only one side trying to move along that route. We need to pray that those we’re still fighting in the world will join us on the more peaceful path. So much progress has been made in recent years; it does give cause to truly hope for even more.

If we can do something to reduce the huge economic costs of war and defence, then maybe we’ll be in a better position to bring about the end of poverty and pain too. War does much to increase poverty and pain; maybe ending it will do as much to reduce them.

Over the next few days (Remembrance Sunday tomorrow and Remembrance Day on Tuesday) we do so much to remember those who have fallen in times of conflict. Let us also remember what it was they were ultimately fighting for — peace. And let us, each and everyone of us, recommit ourselves to achieving that goal — let us continue to strive for peace in our world.

God, our refuge and strength,
bring near the day when wars shall cease
and poverty and pain shall end,
that earth may know the peace of heaven
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Third Sunday before Advent
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council