Tomorrow is Remembrance Day. Whether or not we go to a local cenotaph and participate in a Remembrance Day ritual, all of us can take two minutes to Remember. Two minutes to remember and give thanks for the soldiers – many of European descent, some First Nations, some Asian, some African… who fought in wars in other countries on behalf of Canada. Two minutes to remember and give thanks for our peace keepers, who have risked their lives in so many countries. Two minutes to remember that we are blessed to live in this country called Canada.

Tomorrow and every day thereafter, I encourage you to think about your role. We may not be soldiers, but we can still contribute. For some weeks, I have been working on a children’s picture book. My working title is “Leaders for Peace.” Today, I am so aware that God is calling us all to be leaders for peace, in our communities and beyond.

Today, I listened to the radio and heard one of our government leaders shouting his demands for his province. Is that being a leader for peace, or is it sowing discord, inciting violence? In Canada, we have freedom to be who we are, to live our lives without fear of bombs. We have freedom to be different, to think differently, to worship differently, to look different. As long as we don’t bring harm to others, we are free. That is an amazing blessing. We give thanks for our freedom in that two minutes of silence. Tomorrow, take that opportunity to ask God for help in being a leader for peace.