War - what is it good for?

Thursday 26th November, 2020

The reading at morning Mass was from the Apocalypse. It is a remarkable piece of writing and seems to be about the tumultuous battle between the forces of Good and those of evil. Today the reading was about the fall of Babylon, the great whore. A celebration of the triumph of God as the world comes to its final denouement. A fabulous story which resonates with so much of our experience.

In fact I had been reading of the horrendous suffering to the people of Yemen with wars raging in that land. I also recalled the hell of Syria. Then on to my iPad screen came the Ethiopian conflict and an announcement of the north to be bombed by the Government.

I cannot imagine anything so terrifying.

Strangely I had been reading the Penguin selection of Georgian Poetry. I had put R.S.Thomas aside and moved on partly because of the wars and rumours of war mentioned in the gospels about the End Time.

Wilfred Owen's poems, Futility, Mental Cases, Anthem for Doomed Youth, Spring Offensive and others conjure up the atmosphere and ambiance of war.

" What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

Only the monstrous anger of the guns."

" He dropped, - more sullenly than wearily,

Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat, "

" Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight?

Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows, "

When will we learn the futility of it all, this killing, this human tragedy, this evil desire, this callous heartlessness, this monstrous crime. A plague on those who fight. I even read of a Sikh child being set upon by fellow school children and filmed and put up on to the Internet....and in the background other children just wandering, sauntering by as if it was an acceptable everyday expectation of horrendous violence.

Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves...these poets brought to the arrogant swaggering unaware almost uncaring people of Great Britain a harsh reality. And do you recall the Society Ladies giving white feathers to those who would not fight? Yes, maybe we needed to stop the blazon aggression of an enemy but let us realise the cost, the truth of war and killing...it is not a jolly jape which the 'Squire' told his servants they must engage in.

To whom are we selling arms? To whom do we kowtow because of money, influence, power, vanity and the desire to sit at the top table. God forgive us.

I walked this afternoon, I strode out, I almost punished myself with the exercise because I had to exorcise the darkness I felt in my soul. I had to fight for the belief in the light, in hope and in the power of love, yes and sacrifice. I do not underestimate nor deride the heroes of conflict but they, as I once heard a winner of the VC saying, want peace. They have seen the reality of war and it sickens them.