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“Enemy shells roared overhead, but … large numbers of men came to the improvised communion table and knelt to receive the emblems of salvation.”
William “Fighting Mac” McKenzie, ANZAC chaplain
Hi,
Today, Australia and New Zealand pause in unity to reflect and remember on ANZAC Day.
Among the many stories that could be told today is that of Fighting McKenzie, a true Australian hero and a man of faith who consistently put others before himself. His actions on and off the battlefield embody the heart of service and sacrifice that has come to define the ANZAC spirit.
At Gallipoli, surrounded by gunfire, loss, and grief, he lived among the troops. He carried the wounded, buried the dead, and reminded thousands that they were not abandoned by God. In the midst of battle, his faith was present, practical and grounding.
Although he was repeatedly under fire – including being wounded and famously discovering bullet holes in his hat – he survived the war and returned home to continue his ministry service until his death in 1947, nearly three decades after the war ended.
Fighting Mac stands as someone who walked through the full cost of war, carried its spiritual weight, and returned to help Australia remember what truly endured.
Today, we carry that duty of remembrance and service as we pause to reflect on all who fought and served, all the lives that have been shaped by wars, and especially those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom we enjoy today.
As a community of believers, and as a nation, we reflect with gratitude and humility before God, mindful of the cost of peace and the lives shaped and lost in its defence.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.
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