April 25th is a day of great solemnity for Australians, known as ANZAC Day when we commemorate the awful fighting in the Dardanelles which it is often said, though I think some what inaccurately, is the time when Australia became a nation.The whole idea that you can only become a 'nation' as a result of some awful war is in itself suspect. It is perhaps a justification of the foolishness of old men who seem to think that war solves things.
War, however, should be recognised; and the sacrifice of those who suffer honoured.
We will hear many times the phrase, 'Lest we forget' . Am I being too pedantic to plead that rather than failing to forget we should make sure that we remember.
It is. these days, often remarked that re-member is the way that we can think of that word. Make sure that we add members, of the quality of those we have lost.
And that we embrace the philosophic/theological idea of re-membering, in such a way that we are present at past events and that we bring their meaning into the present....we call this anamnesis.
THis is what I think we are quite good at enabling to happen on ANZAC day...making that event preset in such a way as to appropriate it for thew present.
May it not be morbid, may it not be jingoistic. May it be true!
