Dear Parents,

We, along with Canadian communities around our country, recognize Veterans Week, culminating in Remembrance Day on Nov. 11th. Since we will not be together on Saturday, we took time out of our busy schedules to pause and remember during our Chapel time today. What did we pause for?

First of all, we paused to say thank you: starting with our heavenly Father and Jesus, our Saviour, who made the ultimate act of service by giving His life for each of us. We also said thank you to our current Armed Forces, recognizing the sacrifices that they are making for our freedom. Our hearts also filled up with gratitude for the many Veterans, both past and present, who put their lives on the line for the freedom and peace that we have in our country.

Secondly, we thought about the character traits that they displayed in the process: Courage and Service. It takes courage to stand up for what is right and put your safety on the line for others. We are reminded in Philippians 2:3-4 to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Additionally, this ties in the attribute of service and loving others sacrificially. John 15:13 reminds us that, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Lastly, we paused to think about the great lengths it takes to be agents of Shalom, bringing peace, healing, and restoration to our broken world. We also recognize that going through difficult things can be the path to peace, and that many carry this burden, physically, mentally, and spiritually, long after the battle has ended. The physical and mental scars take time to heal. Even more so, they need to be mended by the God who brings true healing and restoration.

As we continue to reflect on these themes over the next few days, I encourage you to speak to your children about our history and recognize the current conflicts that the world is facing. We cannot afford to forget the great lengths that were taken to protect our freedoms and offer peace to others. Moreover, may we model what it means to be agents of peace and reconciliation to a world longing for hope and a reprieve from its brokenness.

Blessings,
J-D Lussier, Principal