Remembrance Reflection by the Revd Kevin Capelin-Jones CF, Chaplain 74HQ Sqn, Bicester
There’s something quite enigmatic and attractive about transformation stories – be it the well-trod path of hero and superhero movies; or the personal stories of those conquering hardship, adversity or successful entrepreneurship.
I underwent my own transformation earlier this year. After 19 years as an RAF Chaplain, I transferred across to the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department. It’s been quite a change and challenge trying to get to grips with a whole new load of acronyms, policies and ways of doing things – cultural habits that form identity, but I have also found it has refreshed and reinvigorated my passion for ministry with all those serving in HM Forces.
Working with the Army, having served with the RAF, and having deployed on one of my tours of Afghanistan with a Navy-led hospital in Camp Bastion, I’ve seen first-hand across all three services the professionalism and dedication of all those who serve, and who take pride in their nation, their Service and their specific role.
During my re-training, we were reminded rightly of those who have gone before us – particularly during the chaplaincy training of those ministers who, during the First and Second World Wars, were called up from ordinary parishes to undertake extraordinary ministries in the most unordinary situations.
And clearly, it’s not just chaplains. We have countless tales of heroism, compassion, selflessness and sacrifice across the services, across many conflicts, who we remember each year across this Remembrance season.
While I may have chosen my transformation from light-blue to green in relatively peaceful, albeit antagonistic times; we remember not just those with individual acts of heroism and gallantry, but the thousands, millions, who put aside their comforts, their loved ones and served our, and other, nations abroad in the pursuit of peace and freedom.
The brain and our memories are difficult to understand. It is understood that the brain is wired to remember negative experiences more readily than positive ones – for the sake of survival if our brains recognise a previous threat quickly it aids our safety or avoidance of dangerous situations. We do treasure all those positive happy memories we have but for many, memory is actually a difficult thing.
There were tens of thousands who returned from the world wars, and many from more recent conflicts who struggled, or continue to struggle with memories. I still have some memories from my time in the Role 3 Hospital in Afghanistan that I will unfortunately never be able to forget. But that also helps us highlight why it is so important to come together in remembrance every November.
To remember all those who underwent the transformation from civilian to military across so many decades and so many conflicts; in so many capacities and professions, so many cap badges, regiments, squadrons and roles in all the services; and those of our allies to face the unthinkable. In the ultimate act of sacrifice and love.
“Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
Read about how churches around the diocese are getting the commmunity involved in Remembrance.