They also serve
I grew up in England when memories of World War II were still very fresh. The heroes from the memories were always those who had been in the armed forces. Those who had not enlisted or been called up were not quite seen in the same light. Their role was always seen as somehow less. Only when I grew older did I come to learn of the huge effort demanded of those who were not in uniform.
Many men who had been conscientious objectors were amongst those conscripted by Ernest Bevin’s Ministry of Labour to work as coal miners, taking the place in the pits of those who had gone off to fight. However, in the version of history with which I grew up, to be a ‘Bevin boy’ was to be a conscientious objector. Only later did I learn that the majority of the so-called Bevin boys were quite willing to serve in the armed forces, it was a Government decision that they should work in the mines. The miners were expected to make superhuman efforts, the shifts were long, the conditions appalling, the dangers great. It was their efforts that sustained the war effort, keeping the steel mills, the munitions factories, and the power stations supplied with the energy necessary for the nation’s survival.
The Home Front, as it was called, was critical – feeding 40 million people; strengthening the army, navy and air force; producing the materials needed by allied forces facing enemy forces in the four corners of the world. Maintaining morale at home was important and one of the slogans that became popular was, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
The point being made was that service on the Home Front was as critical as service overseas I always assumed that “They also serve” was part of a quotation from some contemporary speaker or writer. You can imagine Winston Churchill standing up and saying in his gravelly voice, ‘They also serve who only stand and wait’.
Only when I looked it up did I discover that the words came from the poet John Milton. As he grew older and his physical faculties failed him, Milton became frustrated that he could do so little in the service of God. But he also came to realise that accepting one’s lot with good grace, and serving God wherever one happens to be, are just as important as travelling far over land and sea. Milton wrote:
“God doth not need either man’s work or his own gifts:
who best bear his mild yoke, they serve him best.
His state is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
“They also serve who only stand and wait,” seems an appropriate verse at this time of year to remember those who didn’t get the call. After the death of Judas Iscariot, the Eleven look for a replacement and we are told, “They cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
What about the fellow that didn’t get picked?
Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) was shortlisted but doesn’t get the job. He has the qualifications set down by Peter, to “have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.” We are not told what is the reaction of Matthias or Joseph – this is God’s will and they accept it and get on with whatever task God has given them.
“They also serve who only stand and wait,” would seem an appropriate word of encouragement to Joseph, and to ourselves; not as a word of consolation, but as a statement that we all have ministries given to us by God. Instead of wishing to be somewhere else, we just get on with what we are doing.
I so love this quote. It is very Churchillian, even though Churchill did not compose it, but he said it at a very appropriate time. He spoke out to the Homefront British to take up arms as best they could – shovels, picks; anything, and be ready to face the invader. Thank god it never happened.
It was always a quote close to my heart, my grandfather was a London fireman and saw terrible things and endured terrible danger, but in the acts of remembrance it is the military who are always remembered
Oh, you are right. Civilians get very little recognition, if any. They were so brave, those people like your Grandfather.
We are in a whole new application of this saying. Covid19 in 2020 is keeping the world at home. At times I feel helpless and wish I could do more to assist so many who are struggling, but then I remember that staying at home, which I have been doing for 7 weeks, is a very helpful thing to do. Right now it is the only tool we have to stop the spread until there is more testing, more information, eventually a vaccine.
It is the sitting at home feeling useless during this Covid-19 pandemic that made me look up this quote. It is so difficult to understand how helpful we are being by just accepting that we need to ‘stand and wait’
The government argue that staying at home will reduce the infection rate to below 1, so that the virus slowly disappears. Unfortunately, it seems that the strategy to deal with Covid-19 is causing casualties elsewhere. Cancer Research UK say that 2,700 people each week are missing cancer diagnoses and there was a news item this morning suggesting the lockdown will cost 18,000 lives to cancer. Such premature loss of life to cancer is in addition to all the other illnesses not being treated and the social and economic costs. Standing and waiting may be deemed to have been an unwise policy in retrospect.
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My husband served 29 years in the military, I was often left alone to bring our children. Although I never gave this a thought at the time, it was just as it was, but after hearing the song “Wind beneath my wings” I thought about what my life had been like in comparison to my husband’s, while I never envied him his career, status, awards, good APRs, respect & even admiration, I realised what a sacrifice I and all partners of those who serve in the military made & still make. I aM old now & all of that is past but I know of some young people who are in that situation now & would love to find a photo of the waiting mother & child which I saw in one of the countries we lived in. I thought it was at Verdun in France but can find no record of it online. I would like to pass this on to those young people who still” Only stand and wait. wait”. Something like that was written on the statue. If anyone can tell me whereto find it so that I can pass it on to those who still stand & wait.
There is a memorial with a mother and children at Equeurdreville, near Cherbourg:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Monument_aux_morts_d%27Equeurdreville.jpeg
Thank you so very much. I am very sorry I have only just found this. We were stationed in France for four years so that must be where I saw the statue. I am not confident using the computer but I hope it won’t take me another four years to find this again. I don’t know how I found this,I had assumed that it would be an email reply. It is so kind of you to have replied. I was looking up other information and recognised the quote and was surprised to see my name close to it. You must have thought me very rude to have not replied. If I do not reply againit will be because I have lost this and am not able to find it again. I would try to find someone to help if that happens. I can reply to emails if you had time to send the information to my email. I have written everything down but it just takes one small mistake to mean it will not work.. Thank you most sincerely once again. All good wishes from Norma