Only Remembered

Yesterday, Remembrance Sunday… standing silently for two minutes in church remembering… watching King Charles lay a wreath at the Cenotaph, remembering those who died in conflict… chatting to my friend Roy remembering his grandfather who died in The Second World War, planning to visit his grave in France.

On Thursday the stage production of War Horse reminded us of the horrors of WW2. A powerful, poignant song, repeated throughout the show giving a commentary on the characters’ emotional journey, included the repeated chorus:

Only remembered, only remembered
Only remembered for what we have done
Thus would we pass from this earth and its toilin’
Only remembered for what we have done

The song stuck in my mind. I asked Mr Google… Nineteenth-century Scottish poet and hymn-writer Horatius Bonar (who wrote hymns I remember) wrote the poem… Ira D Sankey wrote a tune, adapting it as a hymn… It was sung at CH Spurgeon’s funeral…

In the Sunday papers I read about…

…TV presenter Davina McCall’s breast cancer diagnosis and surgery… following last year’s brain tumour diagnosis and surgery. We don’t want to remember Davina for her cancer, but for her courage, joy, honesty and achievements.

…Ex-England goalkeeper Mary Earps’ alcohol problems, eating disorder and body image issues… Mary will be remembered for saving the World Cup final penalty, winning BBC sports personality of the year… she’s also overcome mental health battles.

I can be remembered for bad things that have happened to me, bad things I’ve done… or I can be remembered for good things I’ve done.

The Beatles sung:

There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy… All you need is love…

Musing… Only remembered for what we have done… Loving actions… Jesus’ words, ‘Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’