Lest We Forget – A Reading For Six Voices
| Voice 1: Lord, I am 90 years old, and I was a baby when my father died in Flanders field – his final resting place – known only to God.
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 2: Lord, I am 80 years old, but with a sharp memory. I can see him still in his blue Canadian Air Force uniform – just as he was on our wedding day, saying, “Darling, don’t cry. I’ll see you soon.” But I am still waiting – for he never came home.
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 3: Lord, I am 65 years old, a “baby boomer”, the son of a veteran who sacrificed many years of his life so that I might live my years in freedom and prosperity, fulfilling my dreams – Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 4: Lord, I am 30 years old, the grand-daughter of a veteran, who stormed the beaches on D-Day but who never spoke of the war or of what he had seen, and so my memories are shaped by documentaries, movies and books. – Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 5: Lord, I am 15 years old, and I stood on a bridge today over a stretch of highway 401, waving my Canadian flag as one more soldier came home from war, driven in a solemn convoy – and I wondering why young men and women must die in such far off places?
Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 6: Lord, I have a 4 year old daughter. I took her shopping today and bought a poppy from a man standing outside the store and pinned one on my coat, and one on her coat. I know she didn’t understand, but I whispered in her ear, Lest we forget. Lest we forget.
Voice 7: Ageless and Timeless God, remind us again and again of your endless and all-encompassing love for creation, and of your ongoing vision of peace and justice for all – Lest we forget. Lest we forget. Amen.