90 years ago today the Armistice that ended World War I was signed. (It is where we get the phrase “the eleventh hour” in fact since it was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.)

Over 20 million people, both military and civilian died and 21 million were wounded. Think about that number for a moment, 41 million people.

• That is more people then in the entire state of California.
• It is more then twice the population of New York State.
• 41 million is 16 times the population of Toronto.

Since World War I, we of course had World War II, the deadliest war in history, over 72 million people – men, women and children, lost their lives. The world has had countless other wars, 5 million died in Vietnam, 5.4 million in the Second Congo War… 4193 Americans have died in the current war in Iraq, over 1,000,000 Iraqis have died, though there are no exact numbers.

I am not saying all this to make an pro or anti-war stance, just think about the numbers for a minute. To me they speak for themselves to the horror of war. I saw a picture of a girl a child who had been raped to death in Africa during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (where over 800,000 were killed in only 100 days, less then 4 months.) That is one of the faces of war, the kind that haunts one’s dreams for a lifetime. I think it is the face we should remember when we talk about going to war or being in a war, it is not just soldiers’ families who are effected. War effects everyone.

Anyhow, today is Veterans Day. I give my love and support to those who have and must endure war, both civilian and military. The pictures are enough to change me forever, I can’t even begin to imagine what seeing killing like that in person does to someone. I pray for those people, that they might find hope to live through it and peace after.