[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during June 2023]
On this date seventy-nine years ago there was launched from the south coast of England a combined Allied force intended to turn the tide in the Second World War in Europe. This force has been described at the largest amphibious invasion force in history,[1] with a spearhead of 18,000 paratroopers and 120,000 ground troops out of available resources of over 2,000,000 troops drawn from 12 nations.
Most of those who survived the event itself have now lost the battle against the passage of time. Some of them felt unable to share their memories, others have recorded something of their experiences, either first hand or through relating their stories to younger people. Preserving a nation’s collective memories of previous experiences is an essential part of providing a foundation for future generations. The newly-liberated nation of Israel was instructed to …
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4 v9 [NIVUK]
What is the reason behind this instruction? It cannot be so that we avoid repeating the mistakes of the past; it has been argued that the one thing that we learn from history is that we do not learn anything from history.[2] Time and again we see repeated cycles of error and recovery but we can also see God’s intervention and rescue, and that is the story that we need to pass on.
The date of 06th June 1944 has been given the epithet of “D-day”. There have been many d-days during history; the term originated from its use by military planners to refer to the intended date for the start of some significant offensive and it is used when the actual date is yet undetermined or being kept secret.
There are two more significant d-days which affect us. The first is the decision-day on which we accept Jesus Christ as saviour. As Christians we may or may not be able to define that date exactly but it has become part of our personal history. For others, there will come a default-date when the window of opportunity will close.
The ultimate d-day is destiny-day; Jesus said that only God the Father knows when that will be but it is described in John’s vision of the end-times:
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Revelation 20 v12 [NIVUK]
For all of us, our lives are elements in the progress of human history. We will probably not get a mention in the books that are written on earth but there is a more definitive record elsewhere. The chapter with your name on it is still open, you can still influence its contents but that opportunity will not last forever.
Resources:
[1] https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-d-day
[2] Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770-1831
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Last week’s reflection: What Will You Do?
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
This D Day reflection reminds me of my father’s wartime memories after his landing at Utah beach. I know that he was a lucky survivor
which meant that I was later to become his son.
Although both my parents have physically died, we can all now look forward to Destiny Day!
Thank you Steve for this appropriate reflection.