ANZAC day

I love ANZAC day, it is a day that signifies all our nation was founded on. Feverated in 1901, our country was the youngest one to go to war in 1915, a country merely 14 years old yet - this war defined who we are as Australians. It is about mateship, honour, service, laying down ones life for another, it is about giving unselfishly and dying so others might live ... sound familiar, this is also the underlying philosophy of what we do as Christians - honour, service, laying down ones life for others, fighting the good fight of faith, living unselfishly...

This morning we went to church in Melbourne then we thought, well it is Anzac Day why don't we visit the Shrine of Rememberance, it hadn't been high on the list of things to see, but, how wrong we had been. On this significant national day, the visit was even more poignant and it will be a time we remember for a long time.

This Shrine was built between 1928 and 1934, it was designed by two returned veterans and their design chosen from 83 entries. It was built to honour the 114,000 Victorians who served in WWI, but now commemorates all Victorians who have served in war and peacekeeping. The original building has the Sanctuary which is the heart of the Shrine. The Stone of rememberance, in the centre is symbolic of a gravestone, for the many men and women who were buried overseas in unmarked graves. One reads the inscription "Greater love hath no man" and on this inscription, on the 11th of the 11th at 11am, a natural ray of sun light shines in from an opening in the roof and illuminates the word LOVE.

There is also listed the names of all the Victorians who served overseas in WWI, every different part of the Shrine commemorates something - ships, Light Horse, regiments and then a Father and son sculpture represents the two generations who fought in the first and second WW. A gallery of medals displays 4000 service medals each one repsenting 100 Victorians who have served in war and peacekeeping.

Outside is Second World War Forecourt commemorating the service and sacrifice of the victorians in WWII. It was dedicated in 1954 with Her Majesty the Queen lighting the eternal flame, which is always burning, symbolising eternal life for those who have died. Then there is the Gallipoli Memorial and the Remembrance Gardens, there is so much to see and contemplate as we remember those who have gone before us to make our life so free. It is all so well designed and thought provoking and poignant and causes me to consider are we upholding their legacy with the same values as they had, and if not, well we should be.

Honour, faith, service, unselfish living, respect, consideration of others... might our lives be characterised by these as they were in the early days.