Brian’s Reflection: Friday, Jan 29, 2010

Why should we honour those that
die upon the field of battle? A (wo)man
may show as reckless a courage in
entering into the abyss of him/herself.

William Butler Yeats, poet, born
on this date, 1793, age 73


I had a flare-up on Facebook the other day with the son of dear friends. He insisted that killed soldiers were “heroes”.

His argument: They gave their lives “doing their “duty”, and are therefore automatically “heroes”.

I profoundly disagree. Why? Each situation must be judged by its own circumstances. I reject any such blanket stereotyping. And my conviction is, “God” disapproves of all militarism and war. It is a failure of the essence of being Human.

I agree with Yeats. And with, for example, the sensible and just understanding of Qur’anic “jihad”. The heroic journey of the human being is Self Understanding, and self mastery.

Let us not glorify the killing of other human beings – for any reason. Nor the instruments of the Killing, human or otherwise. Each of us is a “battlefield”. In Yeats’ words, an “abyss”. How amazingly complex we all are!

The journey that produces the greatest heroes is the journey of self-understanding, and the ability to act out of deepest divine compassion and love.

Brian+