Lest We Forget the Innocent Victims of War!

ANZAC Day is arguably the most significant public holiday on the Australian calendar, evoking a deep sense of national pride and gratitude for the generations of soldiers who have gone before us to defend our freedoms. Today, ANZAC Day also includes appropriate acknowledgement of a new generation of soldiers who are still actively defending our freedoms in recent and current military conflicts.

ANZAC Day is a day to commemorate the sacrifice of the fallen and to remember the high price tag associated with war.  Irrespective of the motives or causes, every war that has ever been fought leaves a trail of physical and psychological damage that inflicts permanent scars upon the soul of every nation engaged in the conflict.

Therefore, when we say "Lest We Forget" it is both a statement of RESPECT and LAMENT...

We respect the fallen and injured soldiers when we say "Lest We Forget"

We also lament the innocent victims of war when we say "Lest We Forget"
 

The hallowed phrase "Lest We Forget" should not only be a commemorative statement but a confrontational statement that reminds us of the consequences of war to strengthen our resolve to never again resort to armed conflict.  This means if we try to sanitise "Lest We Forget" by censoring the inconvenient and uncomfortable truths associated with war then we've already 'forgotten'.

So, when a media personality posted on social media the comment "Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)", drawing attention to displaced people as a direct result of fleeing from war zones, I'm a little puzzled at the level of offence this comment has provoked among so many Australians!?  Is it a misplaced nationalism?  Is it a denial of reality? Is it a prejudice against the nationality and religion of the person behind the statement? Whatever it is, I feel the offence felt by the alleged offensive comment is actually more offensive than the comment itself.  To be offended by a reminder of a reality of war when we stand together and say "Lest We Forget" is an unconscionable contradiction that reveals some deep prejudices that dishonour the ANZAC spirit way more than what was said!  

I'm intentionally refraining from naming the person behind the controversy because this raises some ugly issues in our nation that are much bigger than any one person.  We seriously need to take a good hard look at ourselves when we get so easily offended by anybody who dares to challenge our national conscience.  And we need to stop demonising people who do so and with whom we may disagree.

          Lest we forget the innocent victims of war!!

When Politics Cloud Vision

Few things frustrate me more as a leader than when politics cloud vision!  Regardless of the context, a vision worth pursuing deserves the unified commitment of a leadership team to pursue it passionately without being distracted by popularity or discouraged by opposition. The power struggle of politics usually emerges within a team when there is a misalignment of leadership ethos shifting the focus from the end goal to the obstacles encountered along the way.  This misalignment will ultimately undermine a strategic approach to vision and get bogged down in trying to manage or mitigate the tactical challenges that are an inevitable part of pursuing any clear and compelling vision.  

The further a vision extends people beyond their present reality to where they could be or should be, the higher the cost is for leaders who cast such a vision; a leadership dynamic affirmed by Bill Hybels who says, "The grander the vision the greater the price tag."  Purpose driven leadership will always pay the price necessary to achieve the vision whereas people-pleasing leadership will only seek to manage the conflicting politics that emerge at the expense of the vision.  For a vision to become reality, leaders need to remain united and focused as a God-ordained vision is a precious commodity not to be compromised by bowing to the dissenting voices among the crowd. Speaking at a Global Leadership Summit, Hybels is clear about where this responsibility lies:  "If God has given you a Kingdom vision, if you see it clearly and feel it deeply, you had better take responsibility for it." 


When a vision is put to the test, and it will be, a leadership team has two choices: allow the politics to cloud vision or actively pursue a clear vision. The latter will take conviction and courage by both the leader and the leadership team.  Once again, Bill Hybels speaks practical wisdom into this space...


"Leaders should never apologize for the strength of feeling that accompanies their God-given visions. God designed leaders to experience their longing, their desire, and their drive deeply, and to express it fully. And when they do, they energize others.”

Keep the vision clear, the politics at bay and the leadership team united; because "if people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves." (Proverbs 29:18 MSG).