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A Revisited Devotional from November 11, 1998
2 Corinthians 5:19a – In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. (NRSV)
This is a story of two men.
The first was my father. His name was Grant. Grant was born and raised on a small farm in Ontario, Canada. In 1939, while he peered into a mirror and carefully scraped shaving soap and a few sparse whiskers from his young face, the farm radio crackled with the news that Canada was at war. Grant soon bid farewell to his parents and boarded a Toronto-bound train where he volunteered to serve in the Canadian Army.
The second man was named Karl. Karl was born and raised in Germany. When his country went to war, Karl joined the German navy.
The war ended and Grant returned to civilian life, as did Karl. Years passed, and the 1970s found Grant serving as minister of Mackay Presbyterian Church in the northern Ontario mining town of Timmins. Strangely enough, Karl's journey also led him to Timmins, where he found work as a night watchman on a construction site. It was there that Karl met a Christian architect who befriended him, helped him to dedicate his life to Christ, and invited him to worship at … Mackay Presbyterian Church. Karl found a warm reception amongst that faith community.
Not long afterwards, as part of a Remembrance Day Service talk with the children of that congregation, Grant invited Karl to join him at the front of the sanctuary to help share a message of peace with the little ones.
There they were, two men, former enemies, a soldier and a sailor from opposite sides of the ocean, from opposite sides of the war. Some 25 years later, they stood side by side, united by nothing less than the peace and reconciliation of Christ.
Who is your enemy? Who is it that upsets you? Who triggers rage in your heart? Who is it that you find impossible to forgive? Let the names come to you.
And then search for the light of Christ in that darkness. Listen for the voice whispering, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9 NRSV), and pray that the reconciling love of our Lord would find a way into human and hurting hearts everywhere.
Prayer: God of all people, You know whom I consider to be my enemies: those who undermine my work; those who tie my stomach in knots; neighbours; relatives; strangers. God of reconciliation, plant seeds of love in my heart, and lead me by Your Spirit, so that together, we may build bridges of peace and unity, in the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
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Beautiful story, Don.
Thanks Donald, blessings.
Hello Don. Thank you for this message.
Blessings.
This was a great devotional! Thank you! Keep up the good writing.
(On.)
What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it. Your father was a remarkable man.
Hi Don. That’s an amazing story. I missed it the first time around, so I am glad it was revisited.
What a very special story, especially in the month when we celebrate our Veterans. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your testimony about how Jesus is the Prince of Peace and gives us opportunities to share our peace.
We need this story of reconciliation – we pray that God will bring peace and reconciliation in the Middle East and Ukraine/Russia – Amen.
Although today’s devotional was from 1998, it was so worth reading ‘again’.
Thanks for sharing it once more.
Thanks for the story of God working in mysterious ways.
We don’t often see a God incident.
Blessings.
Read your devotional today. This is part of the universal church that happens in this case to be part of your history.
Peace
Thank you for sharing this story about your Dad. Although I never met him, I did have the pleasure and privilege to know him throughout the years. Blessings on your family.
Beautiful devotional.
Thank you for sharing this with us today.
I cried the whole time as I read it.
What a forgiving heart.
Good morning,
What a beautiful story and amazing for the children to hear about the wonderful way God changes things.
God bless.
Hello Donald,
As a son of a WW2 vet I very much appreciated your devotion today. Thanks for the moving story of your father and his gesture of reconciliation and peace.
Good morning, Donald,
What a lovely devotional on reconciliation. It was no coincidence that Grant and Karl were reunited again. Thank you for sharing your father’s story with us today.
Peace!
Thank you, Don, for this reprinted devotion.
I am sharing your story with a Church full of children from a local school as we observe Remembrance Day today.
This is why we remember that only God brings peace into our hearts and the world.
Still such a meaningful message today.
We need such reconciliation today.
May our aim be to seek Truth in Jesus.
Only then will we be able to resolve our differences in our homes, provinces, and countries.
On this Remembrance Day of 2024 I want to thank you for this ‘amazing’ story of your father and Karl from Germany!!!!
Only God can make these kinds of stories happen! WOW!!!
(ON)
A heart touching devotional relating the reconciliation of two men who had fought in separate armies and now shared together the love of God with little children. Life is so much better filled with the light of love and care, rather than the darkness of discontent and anger. This devotional writing is to be very reflected on and taken to heart. Blessings for sharing.
Good morning, Donald,
You might have penned this 26 years ago; however, it is still a beautiful message for Remembrance Day or any day. Building bridges is way more important than being angry or seeking revenge. Asking God to help us understand others and their situations, can definitely help us to be more kind and loving. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Donald,
What a wonderful, compassionate, and fine story of your father and Karl.
War is launched by kings and governments, not young men and women, who pay the biggest price for freedom.
I wish your father had a pulpit in Israel and could bring the sides of conflict together.
Maybe there would be peace and not bombs.
Beautiful! On Remembrance Day, I often think of the 99.9% of those soldiers on both sides wanting only to live in peace alongside their families (including my father in WW1 and my son in Afghanistan)
If only the world would know of God’s love for each of us, and his desire that all his children would love one another!
Blessings.