11 November

Today’s the day when in 1918 the First World War came to an end. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allies. The war had left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation or exposure, as a result of the conflict. The coming of peace was a great cause for celebration, but against a background of terrible suffering that had preceded it.

When the New Testament reminds us to rejoice that there is peace between ourselves and God it cannot do so without also drawing our attention to the suffering that preceded the achievement of peace – in this case the costly death of Jesus for us. These words are from Romans 5:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand… You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.