We placed our candle in the centre of the roughly drawn poppy and sat quietly. The children in our USA fellowship had never seen a poppy like this. I was wearing one that I had brought back from the UK a few days before and they asked me about. In a moment my brain was trying to work out how to tell these Iittle children (age 1 to 11) about the ‘war to end all wars’ that didn’t end wars because humans never learn, about the muddy fields where so many died in WWI and the poppies that have become a symbol of hope. I thought about telling them why we wear poppies in England and how we remember the lost. But I didn’t want to give them a history lesson or teach them about war. They could read that in book. I wanted to point them to Jesus. So I prayed really hard in that fleeting moment and this is what Jesus said to us as we stared at the tiny flame of the candle.
This poppy is a symbol of remembrance. It is red to remind us of God’s love that is so great that he sent Jesus to die to overcome death for us. There are green leaves to remind us that God’s love is ever-green, life giving and eternal. When we look at this poppy we remember all those who have died because humanity forgets, time and time again, God’s great love for them and His longing for us to love one another. And we remember that we need God’s love in our own lives to help us to be love-givers and peace-makers in our broken world.
Then I asked the children to stare at the candle and think about two things:
(1) When have they been angry or cross or unkind in the last week?
(2) How much does God love them?
They sat still as still can be for 2 whole minutes in silence! Then I asked them those questions and they told me how they fought with their brother; were mean to their mummy; got angry with their sister; argue to be first; and other confessions. When I asked each one how much God loves them they all said in different ways something like, ‘to infinity squared and repeated for ever’! And so we remembered together that God’s love is so big that He can help us to not get angry or cross or hurt one another. And God’s desire for us is always to remember to show His love to others.
We never got to finish colouring the roughly drawn poppy before it was time to go home but I pray that the truths that Jesus taught us will be remembered by those children and make a difference to our broken world through their lives. I for one will never forget.
Samantha
