The Final Task

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23281, 17 August 1945, Page 4

The Final Task

Winning The Peace

Thanksgiving Service

THE deeper significance of the victory celebrations was marked by the placing of wreaths at the Great War Memorial and by the Citizens’ Thanksgiving Service at King George’s Place, where a simple yet impressive service was conducted yesterday afternoon. A poignant note was struck by the tribute to the memory of the fallen who had given their lives for liberty.

The first ceremony of the day was an act of homage at the Great War Memorial at 9 a.m. when wreaths were placed by Mr Hanan on behalf of the citizens of Timaru, Mr A. BelK president of the South Canterbury Returned Services’ Association, Mr H. B. Timmings, president of the South Canterbury Homeservicemen’s Association, and Mr F. E. Sherwood, president of the Home Guard Association. Last Post and Reveille were sounded by Lieutenant W. H. Osborne, of the Timaru Municipal Band. Representatives of the Timaru Borough Council and executive members of other organisations and a few exservicemen were present, but there was a poor attendance of the public.

Citizens’ Service At 10 o’clock the Citizens’ Thanksgiving Service was held at King George’s Place, where the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs A. E. S. Hanan), Borough Councillors and representatives of the R.S.A, and their wives and the clergy took up their positions on the dais. A large muster of Girl Guides, Brownies, Boy Scouts, Cubs, Sea Scouts, Boys’ Brigade and Girls' Life Brigade were drawn up in front of the staging, and they were supported by a party of pupils from the Timaru Girls’ High School and members of the Timaru Choral Society, who led the singing. Music for the service was provided by the combined Timaru Municipal Band and the Timaru Boys’ High School Band under the baton of Lieutenant Osborne. The Timaru Highland Pipe Band was also in attendance. There was a fairly large representation of citizens. The order of service comprised an address by Mr Hanan; the hymn, “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”; Scripture reading by the Rev. I. G. Borrie (secretary of the Timaru Ministers’ Association), Psalm 96, verses 1-9, Micah, chap, iv., verses 1-3, Matthew, chapter v., verses 4-12, and Thessalonians, chapter iv., verses 13 and 14 to 18; hymn, “O God Our Help in Ages Past,” thanksgiving and prayer by the Rev. L. A. Barnes (president of the Ministers’ Association), and hymn, “God of Our Fathers, Known of Old”; “God Defend New Zealand”; and the Benediction, pronounced by Mr Barnes. End of Global War They had assembled to rejoice in the knowledge that they had seen the end of a global war unparalleled in human history, said Mr Hanan, not merely in the magnitude of the forces and instruments employed, but in the tremendous spiritual issues involved and at stake. These rejoicings were heightened with the blessings of peace that now encircled the earth. The

prominent though was one of supreme thankfulness to Almighty God that the horrors, sacrifices and sufferings of war were over. Right had triumphed over might and the brutal forces of Germany, Italy and Japan, which made such a mighty effort to enslave humanity, had been defeated and destroyed. “We pay homage to all those who so gallantly and with such glowing patriotism and invincible power fought on sea, land and in the air to win the mognificent victory which we celebrate to-day,” Mr Hanan continued. “We are proud of the conspicuous contributions to the great victory by those in our New Zealand Fighting Forces. They have brought imperishable honour to themselves, as soldiers and men, and a wide fame to our beloved country . Sincere Sympathy “Our thoughts go out in sincere sympathy to all those who mourn the loss of their loved ones. Every serviceman who has given his life should have an abiding home in our hearts. To-day we enjoy that which they fought for at a great price.” At Mr Hanan’s invitation the

gathering stood in silence with bowed heads for a few moment. Continuing, Mr Hanan said that in their rejoicings and celebrations they gratefully acknowledged the immeasureable debt owed to Britain, when she stood alone as the champion of freedom, at a time when the German armies reached the Atlantic Ocean. By her marvellous success in the Battle of Britain, when the future of civilisation was hanging in the balance, Britain stemmed the rapid spread of the waves of brute force, tyranny and barbarism set in motion by the enemies of humanity. But for the resistance of the people of the British Commonwealth at home and overseas, the fiend Hitler, with his savage forces, w'ould have established his “New Order.” inaugurating a dark age for the world. Trustees of Future It was fitting, continued Mr Hanan, that they should recognise the sense of obligation and gratitude to those in New Zealand and in the Allied Forces who faced, and also defeated, the German forces in the first world war. In that war more than 16,000 New' Zealanders w’ere killed and nearly 40,000 wounded. They, too, brought lustre to the country in whose name they fought. They must not overlook the fact that with the present world conditions there could be no sudden or clear breaks in human affairs with its spiritual ills, in a world with its unbalanced civilisation. Humanity did not work so fast. Great changes in economic and social structure with radical reforms which renewed or regenerated the world, and assured humane progress were abiding not due to, a sudden reformation of human nature, he added. Their duty was to bind up the wounds of this Dominion and care for the dependants. They must help to rebuild the shattered countries of the w’orld, and see that life was more human for those who had lived under dictatorships. They must have a federation of the world —when the word of the nation shall be its bond, and where every human being had a place in the economy and developments of a nation’s life. “As trustees of the future.” Mr Hanan concluded, “humanity, w’ith unshakeable determination, has to safeguard and protect, not only the present, but future generations by the outlawry’ of war. To speed the day to a w’orld which will provide a sound and enduring foundation upon which will arise the kingdom of a stable peace when all mankind will enjoy through the beneficence of God a new and happier world social order.”

Mr Barnes said it was his duty once again to lead in thanksgiving prayer, and to make it a really united act he wished to direct their thoughts to some of the things for which, as Christian citizens of the British Commonwealth of Nations, they had to thank God. “We thank God that He called us through our leaders and gave us strength to stand on His side in the cause of righteousness,” Mr Barnes continued. “Before that it seemed perhaps that as a nation we were asleep. Rather than bestir ourselves we w’ere prepared to allow the bullies and the gangsters to rule the world. Now that our eyes have been opened by nearly six years of cruel w'ar let us thank God that He aroused us in time. May the memory of those sufferings ever remain to remind us of what God by giving us the victory has now delivered us from.

Pride. Not Sorrow “We thank God that He inspired men and women to give themselves in that cause. Let us think of them to-day with pride rather than with sorrow. I am sure they would wish it so. We now know their sacrifice w’as not in vain. They, I am sure, know it, too, and stand with us, though unseen, rejoicing with us in our rejoicings to-day. And with those let us also remember those who went forth prepared to die and who have returned to us needing our help. Let us remember those who in civilian life, and specially in the homes, willingly shouldered extra burdens to relieve them for their special tasks. “Finally," Mr Barnes concluded, “let us thank God that there is still a task for us, and one in which, if we continue to trust in God, we are as certain of victory as that of this w’ar which we now' celebrate. We call this task ‘winning the peace.' and sometimes speak as if w’e doubted our ability to win it. That is right, but do we doubt God’s ability to win it? In one of the darkest days of the war, when Rommel was knocking at the gates of Alexandria, did our men doubt their ability to stem his advance and drive him back? Their writings tell us that, as they prepared for and went into the Battle of El Alamein. they never once doubted they would win. Confidence in self, you say? No! Confidence in their cause and in God who inspired them to take up that cause, though they might not have acknowledged it. “We thank God for this task of winning the peace,” Mr Barnes concluded, “for without the vision and inspiration of a task we will surely perish. We thank God that, trusting in Him. we can have confidence of victory in that task and make oui” w’orld a better, a saner and a happier world in which to live.”