I thought the Queen’s reference in her broadcast on Sunday night to the song “We’ll meet again” was apt and well-judged. I think we all know that when Vera Lynn sang this she gave heart to many facing separation during the Second World War. It spoke of a future hope when families and lovers would be reunited, and expressed this hope with confidence – almost like We WILL meet again! It was realistic in saying that the time and place were uncertain, which made the prediction seem more credible.
I guess few of us today can fully appreciate how threatening and seemingly unstoppable the Nazi menace would have seemed in the early days of the war. That threat would have been, I would imagine, even more real than the threat we face now from the Coronavirus. But we still need our morale to be boosted now.
During the Cold War period, Vera Lynn's recording was included in a package of music designed to be played by radio stations in the event of a Nuclear attack.
Simple psychology tells us that if we are to keep going we need to see light at the end of the tunnel. Vera Lynn’s song reflected that. The Queen knows that:
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again," she said.
Here is the first verse of the song:
We'll meet again Don't know where Don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day Keep smiling through Just like you always do 'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.
The Bible is full of hope for the future. Even in the darkest days it holds out hope. Hope is its hallmark. We Christians should of all people live hopefully.