In her column this month, Rev Christine Murdoch looks to the autumn calendar and a time of remembrance. But who writes that memory for the future?

As I said last year, I love October.

The month marks the beginning of winter, when we look out our winter woollies and coats, hats and boots, hoping that they all still fit as well as they did when we put them away in the spring.

As I look out the manse windows I see the leaves on the trees slowly changing colour from shades of green to gold, yellow and brown. Scotland may not be as famous as New England for the beauty of our trees, however, I think the beauty of our country is beyond compare.

At the end of the month, we turn our thoughts to remembering.

In the Christian calendar, All Saints is commemorated on November 1.

While we may not have any special services on the day itself, I will pause and give thanks for those I have known and who no longer live on earth.

I will also say a prayer for the families I know who have lost loved ones in the preceding 12 months. So it is a time of reflection and thanksgiving. Much like Remembrance Sunday, which this year is on November 10.

For me, Remembrance Sunday is not just about looking to the past and giving thanks for those who made, and those who were prepared to make, the ultimate sacrifice for others.

It is also a time to look forward. I like the quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

We look back, yes, in thanksgiving, yet we also look back to remember the past in order not to repeat the mistakes made by others. Hopefully in time folks will look back on our mistakes and learn from them too.

Therein lies the rub, as we are told that history is often written by the victors.

How do we ensure that when history is written it is the memories of all who are concerned that are recorded?

Clearly it would be impossible to record the voices of everyone.

Yet in time to come, how do we ensure the voices of those suffered, who were taken hostage or who lost loved ones in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 are heard and recorded?

How do we ensure the voices of people from Gaza and Lebanon who have suffered so badly since are heard and recorded?

We could go around the world asking the same questions.

Let us hope that when it comes to reading history, we seek to listen to the voices on all sides and the voices that are often silenced.