Remembrance Sunday Homily: Onward, Christian Soldiers.

Micah 4: 1- 5

In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

4 Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever.

Matthew 5: 1 – 12

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

A few years back there was some controversy in the national press about the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ It was reported that a Vicar in the Diocese of Leicester had refused to permit ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ to be sung at a Remembrance Day Service. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the reason was that not everyone at the service would be a Christian. This had apparently angered the local Royal British Legion branch who argued the hymn had been sung in Remembrance Day Services in that church for years.

I am always sceptical about the reliability of what I read in the national press, it seems to me their concern to sell newspapers at times overwhelms any residual sense of duty they might have to report the facts, so who knows what actually occurred? I can only comment on what I read. If the reason for not singing the hymn is as stated, because not everyone at the service would be a Christian, then what hymn could they sing? I think Church services can be clearly Christian, and still welcome people of other faiths, or of no religious faith, so I disagree with the Vicar on that, but I also think that doing things on the basis that they have always been done is an excuse for not thinking, so I also disagreed with that local British Legion branch.

I have to say on any issue of controversy after a moment’s thought I usually find I disagree with absolutely everyone, including myself.

The reporting of this local dispute sparked a nationwide debate about the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’, it seems the hymn rather divides opinions.

Onward Christian Soldiers was once a very popular hymn which in recent times has fallen out of favour. In many people’s mind’s it has became associated with the values of Empire, and the kind of Christian militarism which enthusiastically encouraged young men in World War One to fight for ‘God, King, and Country’. This view seems to have carried the day, and consequently ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ is not to be found in most modern hymn books.

I remember as a child I sang ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ in school with some enthusiasm despite the fact my father was a Pacifist, and had been a Conscientious Objector in World War Two. I am happy to report that ‘Singing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ did not spark within me a desire for Imperial conquest.

To my surprise a search on line proved that sadly ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ is taken by some people to be a call to arms against people of other faiths and lands. There are some rather alarming videos set to the words and music of the hymn that show Crusaders marching off to war. It seems to me quite a basic Christian principle that as God lets us make up our own mind about our faith, so we should let others make up their own minds. In any case, whacking people with a sword is a wholly ineffectual way to change someone’s religious or ideological beliefs.

Christians have to live by the teaching of Jesus, who taught,

‘Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.’

‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’

I respect Pacifists, but I am not one. I believe there is a biblical imperative for the strong to protect the weak, and that sometimes evil can only be opposed by force of arms. However, war must be a last resort, and should never be glorified. If you don’t believe the words of a Vicar on this, then listen to the words of a soldier, perhaps our nation’s greatest, the Duke of Wellington, who wrote after victory at Waterloo, ‘Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.’ In the same letter he writes, ‘My heart is broken by the terrible loss I have sustained in my old friends and companions and my poor soldiers.’ Arthur Wellesley was famously belligerent, but he understood the human the cost of warfare.

Those who decry ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ as a war mongering, and those who hear a blood stirring call to arms, both miss that the hymn isn’t actually about going to war. The line is,

‘Onward, Christian soldiers! Marching as to war.’

Not ‘off to war’ but ‘as to war’.

Nobody in 'Onward Christian Soldiers' is taking up an actual sword.

The hymn compares the Christian life to a battle, drawing inspiration perhaps from New Testament passages such as those in Philippians, 2 Timothy, 1. These are passages that use military imagery to describe the Christian life. Hence, the only weapons mentioned in the hymn are voices raised in praise, and it tells of an army bound together in charity.

The hymn was written by the splendidly named Rev Sabine Baring-Gould, he wrote it for school children to sing as they processed from Horbury Bridge, where he was curate, to Horbury St Peter's near Wakefield, at Whitsuntide in 1865. The Rev Sabine Baring-Gould was for a time Vicar of Dalton, which was close by my former parishes in North Yorkshire, so I regard him with esprit de corps.

The image 'Onward Christian Soldiers' should bring to mind is not of armour clad Crusaders marching to war, but of children dressed in white for Whitsuntide, a 'happy throng' marching to church. They process “With the cross of Jesus going on before.” The cross is a symbol of an innocent man killed by a militaristic Empire, and it is a symbol of the power of eternal love to overcome such wickedness.

The hymn was originally sung to the tune of the second movement Haydn’s 15th Symphony until Arthur Sullivan, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, wrote the tune we know today which marched the hymn into the popular consciousness.

So what are we to make of this?

Perhaps firstly, that a good principle is ‘pay attention to the text not the rhetoric’, meaning both the words and the context in which those words were written should be considered, which is as serviceable for the understanding of hymns as it is for good biblical scholarship, and for good journalism.

Secondly, the Christian life is a battle. Christians are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven yet live in the Kingdom of this World, do not be surprised if you find it a struggle to live by the teachings of Jesus amongst people who oppose them.

Thirdly, Christian symbols are often appropriated by those who want to recruit people to their cause even when their cause contradicts what Christ taught. The question to ask is, 'does this use of Christian symbolism conform to the values of Kingdom of Heaven, or does it conform to the Kingdom of this World?'

Finally, I think even though it is often misunderstood and misrepresented ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ can be sung at Remembrance Day Services to honour all who have suffered in the fight against evil, and to remind us that we too must serve Christ our King who is the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

Onward, Christian soldiers,

marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

going on before!

Christ, the royal Master,

leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

see his banner go!

Refrain:

Onward, Christian soldiers,

marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

going on before!

2 At the sign of triumph

Satan's host doth flee;

On, then, Christian soldiers,

on to victory!

Hell's foundations quiver

at the shout of praise;

Brothers, lift your voices,

loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]

3 Like a mighty army

moves the church of God;

Brothers, we are treading

where the saints have trod;

We are not divided;

all one body we,

One in hope and doctrine,

one in charity. [Refrain]

4 Onward, then, ye people,

join our happy throng,

Blend with ours your voices

in the triumph song;

Glory, laud, and honour,

unto Christ the King;

This thro' countless ages

men and angels sing. [Refrain]