The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Lord Jim Wallace, offers a special prayer for Remembrance

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At this time of Remembrance, let us remember past wars;

those who have fought in them;

those who have lived through them;

those who have died in them.

We remember those permanently maimed or disabled,

those psychologically scarred or still haunted by memories of war,

and those whose memories have been wounded afresh by new reminders of old suffering.

We remember those civilians killed by enemy action, and those bereaved by war.

And when we make mistakes or lose our tempers in our own lives;

or when we speak or think or act in ways every bit as selfish as the actions that can cause wars, may we be forgiven.

Let us pray that, inspired, and encouraged by the Spirit of God, we 

may aspire to be peacemakers in our lives, in our communities and in our wider world.

And as we remember and give thanks for those whose courage in war has inspired us, may we find the kind of courage we are happy to celebrate in others, and direct it towards the battles that really belong to God’s kingdom: battles for justice and compassion, inclusion and welcome, dignity and opportunity.

In Remembrance we pray that we all will know the love of our Eternal Creator who spans all history, and the meaning of whose love cannot be quenched by even the greatest of our wars.

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