A Visit to the Peacemaker on this Day of Remembrance

In a world where fathers throw their children off bridges, and mothers set their babies on fire in the middle of the street it seems that the evil that men do, and the evil, man’s inhumanity toward their fellow man, that perpetuated the horrors of the holocaust has never really gone completely away. It just resurfaces in different places, in different sometimes smaller scaled ways, at different times. Days of Remembrance is a time to remember the victims of the holocaust and the heroes that helped put an end to their suffering. For me it’s about a chance for mindful reflection on whether or not I would ignore man’s inhumanity if faced with it or be strong enough to stand up to it. It’s also a time to say a prayer. I asked my grandsons if Days of Remembrance were mentioned at school today when I picked them up and they said no. Maybe it isn’t covered under common core. We talked about it anyway on our way to tour the Peacemaker (a tall 3 masted ship) that is docked downtown, St Marys. The barquentine ship is touted as the flagship of the twelve tribes and of course I immediately thought of the twelve tribes of Israel. After a little research including a visit to their website I found out I was incorrect about which tribes these twelve were but I still like the Peacemaker’s mission of bringing people into peace with their Creator and with one another. The ship really is something to see and there is no charge to tour it. Children must be accompanied by an adult and no high heeled shoes are allowed. There are also nice benches along the riverfront park upon which to stop and rest while you take a moment for reflection on these Days of Remembrance.