The Reading Today
• Daily Theme: The reality of active service, the continuation of human life, and the illusions of war and religion.
• Source Material: "Learning in War-Time" (The Weight of Glory)
• Source Material: "Learning in War-Time" (The Weight of Glory)
My Reflection
I have very little to say about today’s passage itself, except that the very idea of fighting in a war terrifies me. There is simply no way I could hold a weapon, aim it at another human being, and hope to kill them. I know that countless young men in the past, forced by conscription, have faced this exact, horrifying dilemma.
An ancestor of mine was killed at the age of twenty-one in the Boer War. His body still lies somewhere in South Africa. All I have left of him is a faded photograph and a name. It all seems so utterly senseless. I cannot imagine how someone of the Christian faith can easily reconcile this idea of ‘justified’ murder. It reminds me of my school history lessons where we were taught about the Crusades—their grand justifications and bloody outcomes—all of which now seem so tragically pointless. Looking at the world today, even though our current conflicts are not explicitly called crusades, history is inevitably repeating itself. The bloodshed continues for reasons which, on the surface, seem different, but in reality, are driven by the exact same impulses.
Lewis, writing from his own brutal experience in the trenches of the First World War, strips away the romanticism of combat. He notes that the civilian’s idea of active service is a fantasy. On the front line, the grand narrative of the 'allied cause' fades away, and ordinary human life stubborn continues. Soldiers still read, still think rationally or irrationally, and still seek out aesthetic or sensual satisfactions.
Neither conversion to a faith nor enlistment in an army obliterates our basic humanity. But for me, that realisation makes the reality of war even more stark. To know that the young men in the trenches—or those fighting today—are still just ordinary people trying to read a book or hold onto their minds makes the machinery of war feel all the more devastating.
I have very little to say about today’s passage itself, except that the very idea of fighting in a war terrifies me. There is simply no way I could hold a weapon, aim it at another human being, and hope to kill them. I know that countless young men in the past, forced by conscription, have faced this exact, horrifying dilemma.
An ancestor of mine was killed at the age of twenty-one in the Boer War. His body still lies somewhere in South Africa. All I have left of him is a faded photograph and a name. It all seems so utterly senseless. I cannot imagine how someone of the Christian faith can easily reconcile this idea of ‘justified’ murder. It reminds me of my school history lessons where we were taught about the Crusades—their grand justifications and bloody outcomes—all of which now seem so tragically pointless. Looking at the world today, even though our current conflicts are not explicitly called crusades, history is inevitably repeating itself. The bloodshed continues for reasons which, on the surface, seem different, but in reality, are driven by the exact same impulses.
Lewis, writing from his own brutal experience in the trenches of the First World War, strips away the romanticism of combat. He notes that the civilian’s idea of active service is a fantasy. On the front line, the grand narrative of the 'allied cause' fades away, and ordinary human life stubborn continues. Soldiers still read, still think rationally or irrationally, and still seek out aesthetic or sensual satisfactions.
Neither conversion to a faith nor enlistment in an army obliterates our basic humanity. But for me, that realisation makes the reality of war even more stark. To know that the young men in the trenches—or those fighting today—are still just ordinary people trying to read a book or hold onto their minds makes the machinery of war feel all the more devastating.
Why This Matters
When we strip away the grand, imaginary claims of a "righteous cause," we are left with the heart-breaking reality of ordinary human beings caught in senseless violence. Acknowledging this prevents us from romanticising conflict and forces us to confront the true cost of war.
My Action for Today
Today, I will take a moment to look at the old photograph of my ancestor and honour his memory, reflecting on the profound privilege of living a quiet, ordinary life away from the front line.
Today, I will take a moment to look at the old photograph of my ancestor and honour his memory, reflecting on the profound privilege of living a quiet, ordinary life away from the front line.
Reader Question
Do you find it difficult to reconcile the concept of a 'just war' with the devastating, everyday human cost of conflict?
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