True Stories of the Great War, Volume 6 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
History
True Stories of the Great War, Volume 6 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Every service, of course, was closed with the National Anthem. At
the front, men seem instinctively to know that this great hymn is in
reality a prayer, and on not a few occasions the whole body of men
reverently sang "Amen" at the conclusion of the last line. So also "God
Save the King" will have won for itself an even deeper place in the
hearts of men than that which it has held for so many generations.
From the open field, it was not far to pass on to a little French town
where another regiment was drawn up in the principal square. No more
suitable place could have been chosen for a service, and a wagon, which
served as a pulpit for the Bishop, was just in front of the western
door of the fine old church.
III--"THE KINGDOM OF GOD"--NEAR THE GUNS
To see a Bishop of the Anglican Communion preaching in France at the
door of a Roman Catholic church raised many thoughts in my mind.
I could not but hope that these days of trial may draw the Allies
together by something that is deeper than the bonds of friendship.
We had heard not infrequently of the sympathetic help which is being
offered by many priests of the Roman Catholic Church to our own
Chaplains, and I thought, as many are thinking at this time, that if
the war could serve in any way to help the two great Communions to
understand better their distinctive points of view, some real step
will have been taken to advance the cause of the Kingdom of God.
This service was reverently watched by a considerable number of the
inhabitants of the place.
After holding a short service for two batteries near their guns, the
Bishop came to another open square where a Brigade was assembled, which
included a regiment almost, if not entirely, recruited from East
London. The East Londoner has his own unique characteristics, and his
friends will be glad to know that he is just as cheerful and bright in
France at war as he is in England in times of peace. It was hard to
distinguish faces, but as the regiment swung by the place where I was
standing, I saw many who remembered me from the time that I spent at
Oxford House, and they waved just as hearty a greeting from the ranks
as they used to wave from the top of a van in the Bethnal Green Road
five years ago.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account