¤ ¤
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This is a place of immense
suffering, misery, and death.
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It's a place where lives were
destroyed and changed forever.
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This is Changi, Singapore. When
Singapore fell to the Japanese
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in World War II, 50,000 British,
Australian and Allied troops
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were imprisoned here. They were
crammed together in terrible
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conditions. They were often
tortured and beaten. Life was
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a daily struggle
against humiliation, hunger, and
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disease. Yet it was here in one
of history's darkest hours where
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conditions were at their worst
that we find a story that is
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heroic, moving, and most of all
inspirational. In this dreadful
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place one man, a British
bombardier brought hope and
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peace to the broken and dying
men of Changi. And he did it in
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the most unusual way. Stay tuned
because his story will inspire
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you and his secret could
bring you hope and peace in your
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darkest hour as well.
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¤ ¤
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Singapore Changi Airport is one
of the largest transportation
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hubs in Southeast Asia. It's
the sixth busiest airport in the
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world and the second busiest
in Asia. Each week about 7000
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flights land or depart from
Changi or about one every 90
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seconds with about 60 million
passengers passing through the
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airport each year. But Changi is
more than just an airport. It's
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a destination in its own right
with a multitude of shopping,
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dining and entertaining
experiences on offer at the
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airports four terminals.
It's not surprising that it's
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currently rated the world's best
airport, a rating it's held for
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the past five years. This
airport has blossomed and boomed
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over the past few decades,
so it's not surprising that the
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first airfield at Changi lacked
the sophistication and marvelous
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attractions of today's airport.
But what is surprising is that
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the very first airfield here
at Changi was initiated by the
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occupying imperial Japanese
forces after the fall of
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Singapore in 1942 and the first
landing strips were built by
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British and Australian POWs who
were used as forced laborers.
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When Singapore fell to the
Japanese on the 15th of February
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1942, it was Britain's greatest
military defeat and the largest
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surrender of troops in British
history. Around 80,000 British,
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Indian and Australian
troops based in Singapore became
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prisoners of war. The Japanese
were astounded at the sheer
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number of prisoners they
suddenly found themselves with.
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Clearly they had to do something
with them and quickly. They
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rapidly made a decision to
segregate them along racial
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lines and march them to Changi
in the south of the island. Over
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50,000 prisoners made
that journey. They were crammed
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together in terrible
living conditions in a number of
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barracks in the area. They were
often tortured and beaten. Life
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was a daily struggle
against humiliation, hunger, and
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disease. Changi was a living
hell. Yet it was here in one of
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history's darkest hours where
conditions were at their worst
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that we find a story that is
heroic, moving and most of all
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inspirational. In this dreadful
place, one man, a British
bombardier, brought
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hope and peace to the broken and
dying men of Changi. And he did
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it in the most unusual
way. Stanley Warren was born in
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England in 1917. He was a
talented artist and a religious
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man. Stanley was employed as
a commercial designer producing
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poster ads with the Granada
organization before the war. In
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1940 he enlisted in the army
to join the fight against Nazi
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Germany. He was posted to the
Royal Regiment of Artillery as
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an observation post assistant.
His responsibilities included
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having to make quick drawings
of panoramas that were used to
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plot targets for the artillery
guns. In early 1942, he was
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posted overseas to Malaya with
the 15th Field Regiment Royal
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Artillery after the Japanese
had invaded Malaya and Thailand
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and Pearl Harbor had been
bombed. On arrival their fight
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against the Japanese was
brutal and short lived. Soon his
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battalion began retreating
to Singapore. By the 12th of
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February the situation in
Singapore was desperate and
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Lieutenant-General Arthur
Percival who was in charge of
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the British-Malaya
command ordered the troops into
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Singapore town. Three days
later the British surrendered
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and Stanley was interned as
a prisoner of war at Robert's
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Barracks in Changi. Stanley
joined other POWs who were
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forced to work around Singapore
repairing the damage caused by
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the Japanese attacks and
restoring essential services to
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working order again. They
endured appalling conditions
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of overwork, starvation,
sickness and torture. Disease
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was widespread and medical
supplies were scarce. As a
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result of the extreme hard labor
and the horrific conditions, the
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men's morale and health
deteriorated rapidly. Stanley
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suffered terribly. He developed
a severe kidney disorder that
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was complicated by dysentery and
malnutrition. He was close to
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death and was finally admitted
to the Robert's Barracks
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hospital in a comatose state.
Later he was transferred to the
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dysentery wing at Block 151.
The building housed a chapel
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that the prisoners had built and
dedicated to St. Luke, the Bible
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physician. While recuperating
Stanley heard the sound of
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Australian prisoners singing
hymns and carols in the chapel
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and the sound of those voices
inspired him to use his artistic
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talents to create a symbol that
would bring hope and peace to
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his fellow prisoners. As soon
as he was strong enough, Stanley
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joined the choir and agreed to
paint a series of murals on the
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chapel walls. He wondered what
he could paint that would lift
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the prisoners spirits and give
them hope in their darkest hour.
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Then he realized that there was
only one source of lasting hope
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and peace. He requested a Bible
and focused on the four gospels,
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Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John from which he drew his
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inspiration. He decided to paint
a series of murals that would
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show the very heart of Christian
belief. At the time when Stanley
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was preparing his draft drawings
of the murals, the Japanese
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began an action which
would become infamous as the
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bombardier Barracks incident.
The Japanese demanded the
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prisoners' leaders sign a no
escape pledge. This was shortly
after the recapture
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of four escaped soldiers. This
type of declaration is against
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the Geneva Convention and
the prisoners' leaders rightly
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refused to sign. The Japanese
response was to have the four
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recaptured soldiers executed
on Changi Beach. Then 17,000
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prisoners were ordered from
their barracks and forced to
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assemble in Selarang Barracks
Square. They had to stand there
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in the open for nearly five days
exposed to the elements without
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water or sanitation until
the no escape pledge was signed.
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Against this backdrop Stanley
began to paint the Changi Murals
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One of the biggest challenges
he faced was finding paint and
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brushes. But the prisoners
rallied and at risk of their
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lives they managed to scrounge
paint, make brushes from human
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hair and gather materials for
the project. Despite still being
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very ill Stanley began to work
on the first mural. His illness
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and meager diet meant that he
could only paint for a limited
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period each day. For perhaps 10
to 15 minutes at a time followed
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by a rest. He fainted often
which also slowed his progress.
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Stanley decided to use the same
technique he used when he worked
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as a cinema billboard artist
before the war. He drew in clear
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bold outlines so that the murals
could be seen at a glance or
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from a distance. To compensate
as much as he could for the lack
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of available color he resorted
to large brush strokes and areas
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of solid color. The result was
to be murals of very low tones.
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The first mural Stanley painted
featured the nativity or birth
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of Christ. He painted each of
the three Wiseman who presented
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gifts to the Baby Jesus as being
from different racial groups.
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The figure holding the cup
is Asian, the robed and turbaned
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Wiseman kneeling at the front
is middle eastern and the third
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Wiseman is European. This
helped convey the concept of
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universality, that we're all
equal and part of the one human
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family that shares this planet.
Above the mural he painted the
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words that the angels used
to announce the birth of Jesus -
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Pease on Earth to Men of
Goodwill. Despite serious
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illness Stanley persevered and
managed to complete the mural
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in time for Christmas.
This lifted the spirits of the
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prisoners. That Christmas the
chapel was absolutely packed and
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others stood outside and
listened to the service and
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hymns. There was peace in Changi
Prison that great Christmas of
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1942 and in the hearts of many
of the POWs as well. And the
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fact that his nativity mural
contributed to that made Stanley
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glad. Stanley feared that he
would die before he completed
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the mural project so he decided
to paint the ascension of Jesus
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return to heaven next after
the nativity so that the chapel
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would at least have two murals
representing the beginning and
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the end of Christ's time on
earth. Fortunately his health
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improved and he was able to
complete the second mural on
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another wall within several
weeks. The ascension mural
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features the risen Christ saying
to his disciples Go and Teach
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the Nations. I Am With You. The
third mural to be painted was
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crucifixion and Stanley
deliberately chose slaves to
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carry out the crucifixion. The
slaves, clad only in loin cloths
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were a direct reference to the
prisoners' own conditions. Loin
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cloths is what many of them wore
But there's an additional subtle
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more important message here.
By using slaves Stanley was also
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inferring that the Japanese
soldiers were under orders when
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they carried out the many
atrocities that they committed.
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Stanley was a committed
Christian and in this mural he
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was forgiving his captors for
the mistreatment of the POWS.
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Above the mural he painted the
words, Father Forgive Them, They
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Know Not What They Do.
To emphasize the concept of
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forgiveness Stanley painted
Jesus with his eyes closed so
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that he wouldn't see and
recognize those who were harming
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him. He wouldn't hold it against
them. That's true forgiveness.
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The message of this crucifixion
mural was so powerful that even
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the Japanese guards would come
into the chapel and gaze up at
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it. And whenever the chaplains
met with small groups of
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prisoners they chose to stand
under this mural. Next came the
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painting of the last supper.
The mural depicts Christ sharing
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the very first communion
with his disciples before his
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betrayal by Judas Iscariot
and his subsequent torture and
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crucifixion. The inscription
reads This Is My Blood of the
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New Testament Which Is Shed For
Many. Christ was telling of the
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suffering and death that he was
soon to endure. The prisoners
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found hope and affinity in this
suffering Messiah. They felt
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he understood their situation
and that brought them comfort.
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The final mural shows an aged
St. Luke in prison writing his
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gospel while a Roman centurion
and others watch on. The walls
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of the prison are broken down
to show that the human spirits
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and true hope cannot be
contained. Christ's word would
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go out to the world despite
imprisonment. The Changi murals
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were completed by May 1943.
Their effect on the atmosphere
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in the prison camp was quite
remarkable. In that living hell,
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in one of history's darkest
hours when conditions were at
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their worst Stanley Warren's
paintings boosted the moral of
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the men, brought them spiritual
uplift, provided them peace and
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gave them hope. The murals and
their message played a role in
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the survival of many Changi POWs
After he started painting the
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murals Stanley was informed that
his work party was to be sent
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north to work on the Thai-Burma
railway. The Colonel in charge
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of the hospital who was
aware of his work on the murals
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intervened to have Stanley
transferred back to the hospital
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so that he could continue
his work in the chapel. Most of
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Stanley's unit who went to
the Thai-Burma railway never
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returned. If Stanley went in
his weakened condition he most
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certainly would have died there.
So the murals very directly
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saved his life in a way he could
never have foreseen. After the
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war Stanley returned to England
where he married and became an
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art teacher at a school in
London. Meanwhile St. Luke's
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chapel at Changi was turned into
a storeroom. The murals were
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painted over and forgotten.
And the Changi murals remained
00:16:34.06\00:16:38.93
forgotten for 13 years until an
unnamed RAF national serviceman
00:16:38.96\00:16:45.40
was told to clean up the store
room which had served as the
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POWs chapel. He noticed that
some streaks of color lay under
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the outer coat of paint and
reported it to his officer who
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realized the importance of
the discovery. The outer coat of
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paint was carefully removed
revealing the five murals, but
00:17:03.42\00:17:08.76
there was no signature on any of
the murals and so the identity
00:17:08.79\00:17:12.69
of the artist was a mystery. An
all out search was then put into
00:17:12.73\00:17:17.63
operation involving the national
press in Britain. In February
00:17:17.67\00:17:23.14
1959 Stanley Warren was finally
found living in London with his
00:17:23.17\00:17:28.68
wife and son still teaching his
beloved art. The RAF contacted
00:17:28.71\00:17:35.38
Stanley and persuaded him
to make three trips back to
00:17:35.42\00:17:38.85
Singapore to restore his murals.
And today, 60 years later,
00:17:38.89\00:17:44.36
Stanley Warren's Changi murals
continue to inspire people with
00:17:44.39\00:17:50.20
their enduring message of hope
just as they did for hundreds of
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his fellow prisoners of war back
in the darkest days of World War
00:17:54.34\00:17:59.84
II. What is it about hope that's
so important to us as humans and
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our well-being. It's said we
can go three weeks without food,
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three days without water,
three minutes without oxygen,
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but how long can we exist
without hope. The loss of hope
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is a terrible thing. Without
hope life's challenges bring
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discouragement, despair,
depression and even death.
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Without hope we are broken
people. That's why the Bible
00:18:31.01\00:18:36.75
lists hope as one of the
three great Christian virtues.
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It links hope to faith and
love and it indicates that these
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three virtues are amongst the
most important gifts that God
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gives us and that they will
remain or last. Notice what the
00:18:49.69\00:18:54.83
Bible says in 1 Corinthians
chapter 13 and verse 13:
00:18:54.86\00:18:59.93
So there you have them, faith,
hope and love. These are three
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gifts that God gives us and they
are linked, they're united. What
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happens to one happens to all
and what happens is that they
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remain, they never end.
Many people understand hope is
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wishful thinking, a desire for
something they may or may not
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receive as in, I hope something
will happen. Like I hope I get a
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new job or I hope it'll be
a sunny day tomorrow, but not
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knowing if they'll happen or not
But this is not what the Bible
00:19:44.35\00:19:48.15
means by hope. The Bible
definition of hope is confident
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expectation. It refers to
a desire for something we are
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certain to receive, an assurance
concerning the future. The
00:19:58.23\00:20:03.97
Christian hope is based upon
what God has already done in the
00:20:04.00\00:20:08.70
completed work of Jesus. It's
built on fact. This is true hope
00:20:08.74\00:20:14.51
It's far greater than just a
wish or a desire. This is hope
00:20:14.54\00:20:20.15
that lasts forever and this is
what Stanley Warren communicated
00:20:20.18\00:20:25.55
in his murals. He simply told
the story of Jesus. He pictured
00:20:25.59\00:20:31.19
the most important events
in his life, the very heart of
00:20:31.23\00:20:34.56
Christian belief. He brought
hope into the lives of the POWs
00:20:34.60\00:20:39.23
at Changi death camp by
communicating faith, hope and
00:20:39.27\00:20:44.64
love. In his first mural
featuring the nativity or birth
00:20:44.67\00:20:49.64
of Christ Stanley showed that
God is not far away like some
00:20:49.68\00:20:55.42
uncaring absent landlord. Rather
in Jesus Christ he came to this
00:20:55.45\00:21:01.29
planet of ours and became
intimately and actively involved
00:21:01.32\00:21:05.66
in providing a solution to
the problems we face. And right
00:21:05.69\00:21:10.67
there when Jesus was born we
are reminded of what's really
00:21:10.70\00:21:14.47
behind our major problems.
Notice what God said regarding
00:21:14.50\00:21:18.81
Mary and the birth of Jesus in
Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21:
00:21:18.84\00:21:23.35
Jesus came to this planet for
one purpose, to save us from our
00:21:33.96\00:21:40.10
sins. The Bible says that
because of the wrong things we
00:21:40.13\00:21:43.97
do everyone falls short of who
God wants us to be. Because of
00:21:44.00\00:21:48.80
the wrong things we do sin
separates us from God, but Jesus
00:21:48.84\00:21:54.54
came to earth over 2000 years
ago to pay the price for our
00:21:54.58\00:21:59.81
sins. That's why he came and
that's the message of hope that
00:21:59.85\00:22:03.65
Stanley shared in his nativity
mural. Then in the mural of the
00:22:03.69\00:22:08.86
last supper Stanley shared
how on the Thursday before his
00:22:08.89\00:22:12.96
execution Jesus sat down at the
table with his disciples to eat
00:22:12.99\00:22:17.80
his final meal before his
crucifixion and resurrection.
00:22:17.83\00:22:21.24
The last supper was very
significant because Jesus showed
00:22:21.27\00:22:26.17
his disciples he was about to
become the Passover Lamb of God.
00:22:26.21\00:22:31.45
His shed blood would open the
door to freedom. His followers
00:22:31.48\00:22:35.98
would exchange slavery to sin
and death for eternal life in
00:22:36.02\00:22:40.82
God's kingdom. This mural
carries a powerful message of
00:22:40.86\00:22:45.49
hope to the prisoners here as
they were literally slaves. This
00:22:45.53\00:22:50.33
mural gave those slaves hope.
The crucifixion mural continued
00:22:50.37\00:22:55.80
the message of hope for those
prisoners in Changi. When Jesus
00:22:55.84\00:23:00.08
died in our place on the cross,
he paid the penalty for our sins
00:23:00.11\00:23:04.61
He broke the power of sin
and death and created a new
00:23:04.65\00:23:09.38
relationship with God for us
and that brings true freedom. No
00:23:09.42\00:23:15.86
matter what our circumstances,
no matter what mistakes we've
00:23:15.89\00:23:19.53
made, we can have the assurance
that our sins are forgiven if we
00:23:19.56\00:23:25.03
bring them to the cross and
leave them there. Next came the
00:23:25.07\00:23:30.61
resurrection mural. Here Stanley
shared with his fellow prisoners
00:23:30.64\00:23:34.81
that by rising from the dead
Christ promised that new life
00:23:34.84\00:23:39.11
became sure and certain. Even
though they were facing death,
00:23:39.15\00:23:43.95
Stanley's resurrection mural
gave these prisoners hope, a
00:23:43.99\00:23:49.22
living hope of eternal life
through Jesus Christ. And so
00:23:49.26\00:23:53.73
through all their challenges and
persecution Stanley Warren and
00:23:53.76\00:23:58.27
and his fellow prisoners fixed
their eyes upon the Lord Jesus
00:23:58.30\00:24:03.30
Christ, their hope. And with all
the hopelessness and despair of
00:24:03.34\00:24:07.78
this dark place they found hope,
true hope, through these murals
00:24:07.81\00:24:13.92
that pointed them to Jesus. As I
stand here in the Changi chapel
00:24:13.95\00:24:19.52
gazing at Stanley's hope filled
murals it's as if I can hear the
00:24:19.55\00:24:24.26
voices of those prisoners
echoing down the years singing
00:24:24.29\00:24:28.80
the old favorite hymn
of faith and assurance:
00:24:28.83\00:24:31.77
What about you? Have you lost
hope? Where do you find your
00:24:46.45\00:24:51.92
hope in the trials and storms of
life? When you accept Jesus and
00:24:51.95\00:24:57.46
allow him into your life,
then he will bring life giving
00:24:57.49\00:25:01.50
forgiveness into your situation
and bring you hope, real hope.
00:25:01.53\00:25:07.74
With Jesus in your life you'll
never face your problems alone.
00:25:07.77\00:25:11.34
You'll know victory instead of
failure. You'll have true hope
00:25:11.37\00:25:15.81
to face your challenges. You
can stand with Jesus and he will
00:25:15.84\00:25:20.58
guide you through life in ways
that are far better than you can
00:25:20.62\00:25:25.29
ever think or imagine. Jesus
will put your life together
00:25:25.32\00:25:29.92
again, give you hope and walk
with you step by step. If you'd
00:25:29.96\00:25:34.90
like to have that hope in your
life why not ask for it right
00:25:34.93\00:25:39.60
now as we pray.
00:25:39.63\00:25:41.44
Dear Heavenly Father, we all
face challenges in the journey
00:25:41.47\00:25:47.18
of life and sometimes it seems
that the trials and storms of
00:25:47.21\00:25:51.65
life are about to overwhelm us.
And when we're down it's so easy
00:25:51.68\00:25:56.99
to fall into discouragement,
despair and depression. Please
00:25:57.02\00:26:03.16
point us to Jesus. Uplift us and
give us the hope that comes from
00:26:03.19\00:26:07.30
knowing him. Lord, we want
to stand with you and have you
00:26:07.33\00:26:11.83
guide us through life. Please
bless us and give us hope.
00:26:11.87\00:26:16.40
We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:26:16.44\00:26:20.18
If you feel as if you've lost
hope or would like to find out
00:26:20.21\00:26:29.85
more about Christian hope, then
I'd like to recommend the free
00:26:29.88\00:26:33.89
gift we have for all our viewers
today. It's the Christian
00:26:33.92\00:26:39.23
classic Steps to Christ. This
book is our gift to you and is
00:26:39.26\00:26:44.43
absolutely free. There are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:26:44.47\00:26:49.64
Thousands have become acquainted
with Jesus and found hope
00:26:49.67\00:26:53.88
through this book and it has
helped many more including those
00:26:53.91\00:26:57.58
who have walked with him
for years to know him better. So
00:26:57.61\00:27:02.85
please don't miss this wonderful
opportunity to receive the gift
00:27:02.88\00:27:06.79
we have for you today.
Here's the information you need:
00:27:06.82\00:27:11.89
Phone us now on 0481315101 or
text us on 0491222999 or visit
00:27:11.93\00:27:26.41
our website
theincrediblejourney.tv
00:27:26.44\00:27:30.78
to request today's free offer.
So don't delay. Contact us
00:27:30.81\00:27:35.65
right now. Be sure to join us
again next week when we'll share
00:27:35.68\00:27:42.19
another of life's journeys
together and experience another
00:27:42.22\00:27:45.99
new and thought provoking
perspective on the peace,
00:27:46.03\00:27:49.26
insight, understanding and hope
that only the Bible can give us.
00:27:49.30\00:27:55.00
Until next week remember the
ultimate destination of life's
00:27:55.04\00:27:58.71
journey. Now I saw a new heaven
and a new earth and God will
00:27:58.74\00:28:03.65
wipe away every tear from their
eyes. There shall be no more
00:28:03.68\00:28:07.88
death nor sorrow nor crying.
There shall be no more pain for
00:28:07.92\00:28:12.02
the former
things have passed away.
00:28:12.05\00:28:14.62
¤ ¤
00:28:14.66\00:28:15.99