Poppy overload

Did you know my uncle Jack, the only relative we had in NZ when Nana and Papa arrived, fought in Gallipoli? He was not part of ANZACS as he was in a Scottish regiment. My father enlisted for WW2 as it started and was away from his home from 1939-1945.

I like to think of myself as a pacifist - I don't believe war solves anything

you probably are not surprised that our church includes a large number of people with strong views about working for peace. Lloyd Geering is one of the people who was a conscientious objector during WW2 - as was Sir Edmund Hillary (not that he attended St Andrews but just as an aside)

Yesterday at church we had our service that honours those who lost their lives in wars past and present and also those who worked for peace. We sang the hymn Shirley Murray wrote for ANZAC Day and has been used at services in Gallipoli and NZ over the last 10 years though not without controversy. The hymn has several verses and starts with "Honour the dead the country's fighting brave". It is the 3rd verse that is controversial with the RSA banning its use.

Honour the brave whose conscience was their call

Answered no bugle went against the wall

Suffered in prisons of contempt and shame

Branded as cowards in our country's name

http://kapitiindependentnews.net.nz/banned-anzac-verse/

Take care