Community challenged to seek peace

The Salvation Army Stafford's corps officer, Major Ian Channell addresses the crowd at the 2024 Windsor and Districts Historical Society Anzac Day service at the Windsor Memorial Park cenotaph.

By Darryl Whitecross
(First published: April 25, 2024)

While Australians around the country and the globe were taking part in the 2024 Anzac Day commemorations on April 25, our corps officer, Major Ian Channell, was calling on people everywhere to be peacemakers.

In his address to this year's Windsor and Districts Historical Society Anzac Day service at the Windsor Memorial Park cenotaph, Major Ian said, in making reference the Matthew's record of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker, restoring peace between rebellious humanity and a holy God.

(Matthew 5:9 Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God".

Ian said the word "peacemaker" implied action: people who made peace, who worked to establish peace, to restore peace wherever they were sent.

Around the world, Australian defence force personnel are involved in peacekeeping roles.

"They do not fight for peace in their own land, though, we will benefit from peace in the world, but they fight for the benefit and the peace of others. For this they shall be called children of God.

"I guess, like you, I hope for a day when the world is at peace across the world and the need for peacemakers will end," Ian said.

April 25, 2024, marked the 109th commemoration of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers on the shores of Gallipoli, Turkey, in World War I and our corps was involved in the historical society's annual memorial service at the Windsor Memorial Park cenotaph.

Anzac Day, which is a significant day in the history of Australia and New Zealand, these days pays respect to all our soldiers, sailors, airmen and allied health professionals who serve in the nation's armed forces in any capacity and in any location.

Major Ian gave his annual address and prayer during the service and bandmaster Cameron Rablin played the "Last Post" and "Rouse" and our corps band provided the music prelude and accompaniment throughout the service. Several members of our faith community also attended. It continues to be a special day.

The Federal Member for Brisbane, Stephen Bates, told the crowd that Anzac Day served as "a poignant reminder" of the community's obligation to remember, reflect and to strive for a better future.

"Let us carry remembrance forward to ensure the sacrifices of the past are never in vain and may we continue to hope and strive for a world without war," Stephen said. 

Historical society president, Matthew Crook, said this year's service was the 100th time the community had gathered at the cenotaph to commemorate Anzac Day. 

"This memorial was unveiled on this day in 1925 so it's the 100th time we’ve been here so come back again next year when it will be the 100th anniversary," Matthew said.

"It is significant to this community to have this magnificent location and a magnificent opportunity to reflect as a community to those who have gone before," he said.

Major Ian said, in his address, that World War I was known as "the war to end all wars" but that 11 years later the world again was at war.

He said that, since then, it has been with regularity that war has broken out somewhere in the world . . .  even now Ukraine Gaza, Cambodia, various African nations, Haiti to name a few.

"Has there ever been a time in human history when the world knew absolute peace? Sadly, I suspect not," Ian said.

"I suspect that in every point in our history there have been, somewhere, skirmishes, fights, battles, wars within races, across nations, between cultures . . .  for greed, for controls, for domination."

In the book of James, in the Bible, it is recorded that people desired what they could not have so they killed to get it; they coveted; they did not have or could not get what they desired so they quarrelled and fought.

"On occasions, perhaps too many occasions, those quarrels and fights escalate into war," Ian said.

"The Bible doesn't encourage war but recognises that it is, at times, necessary because the human racing includes selfish, evil, power-hungry people who inflict war on the innocent to get what they want without thought or concern for the injury or destruction that war causes on all sides. Sometimes, the only way to stop them is to go to war against them."

He said he was unaware if Australia or New Zealand had started a war but the forces from the two countries had been involved in theatres of war to help defend those countries unable to themselves: "We stood to fight injustice; to fight bigger and stronger bullies.

"For me, I have the promises of God and He says: He makes wars cease to end of the Earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the shield in the fire (Psalm 46:9); Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war any more. (Micah 4:3)," Ian said.

In his closing remarks, Tim Nicholls, the State MP for Clayfield, thanked everyone who took part in the service - the themes, poems, speeches and endorsements - which is held on one of the most significant days in Australia's history.

Tim said the day formed a significant part of "our culture, our credo and our ethos".

"We've spoken about sacrifice. We've spoken about courage. We've spoken about endurance and perserverance and, perhaps, importantly we've spoken about the future and what the future holds and what we see in the future," Tim said.

"Perhaps, we can take some small solace from the words of (America's first president) Abraham Lincoln in his inaugural address where we look to 'the better angels of our nature for a better future'," he said.

Tim thanked the students from Kedron State High School, St Mary of the Cross and Windsor State School for their part in the service, the naval cadets from Training Ship Palumafor the catafalque party, the Wilston scouts and the local, state and federal members and, importantly, the society's Rosalie Raciti, the MC, who had been a "stalwart" of the service for many years.