After just seeing the movie, "THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY," a truly sad and tragic movie if ever there was one, I decided to take cyber~pen in hand to write my reflections and mixed emotions about this sad & tragic dynamic that went on and is still going on in war-strifed Northern Ireland.  I know that the vicious events tht have transpired from at least 1916, some of which is reflected in this film, have not really changed, despite the heroic efforts of one, Jerry Adams, so I reluctantly reflect via an analogy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

     While watching the made for TV special mini~series, "JESUS OF NAZARETH," I was very taken with the scene between Jesus and Barabbas at the washing station.  Barabbas had heard of the power of Jesus, and mistkingly thought that this power revolved around the eventual evening of scores with the mean and powerful ROMAN EMPIRE, which was occupying Palestine at that time....Little did Barabbas imagine that Jesus was to inform him that this was not the way of bringing the kingdom of God to man. Not only did Barabbas not comprehend what our God made flesh was trying to convey, since he probably did not hear the part about loving one's enemies, and praying for them, and doing good to them that persecute you, so what Jesus said went over his head.

     Albeit this was a dramatized movie, but the truth of this presentation nevertheless rings true even today.  ENGLAND, as the British Empire, is the new Roman Empire and the Irish are its latest victims (just as the Jews suffered under Rome, and the Jewish Zealots were the earlier version of the Irish Republican Army, where physical force was "necessary" to overcome the occupier, regardless of the colateral damage done to women and children (and other innocent victims) on both sides. THIS INDEED IS A TRAGEDY, AND JESUS DID NOT WANT BARABBAS TO FOLLOW IN THESE DREADED FOOTSTEPS, THAT ULTIMATELY LEADS TO MORE AND MORE BLOODSHED.

    As a youth, I was like Barabbas, in that I used to beat up local bullies (regardless of size) for what I saw as an infringement of what my friends and I were doing.  I instinctively felt that the bully would not go away unless confronted DIRECTLY--hence the necessity of physical force.  Even though I was mostly successful in these types of endeavors, I failed to understand or appreciate the words of Jesus, despite growing up in the Catholic Church. IT DID NOT REGISTER ON MY SPIRITUALLY IMMATURE MIND. 

      As a descendant of both the Brian Beru clan, as well as the English explorer, Henry Hudson, my Irish grandmother called me 'Mulligan's stew,' and surely I was a mixed bag, even with a little Polish in me to boot!  Now I speak with a shade of spiritual wisdom, and finally understand the words of Jesus, and that our REAL fight is of a spiritual nature, and our real enemies are spiritual also, and as St. Paul indicated, of spiritual wickedness from on high.  Once we fully understand this, we will put on the whole of the armor of God, forsaking the armor of men, rejecting physical force as best we can, and trusting in the Lord for our defence, as Hezzekiah did when the Syrian king was ready to lay seige of Jerusalem  back at the end of the 8th century B.C.  As anyone can read, Hezzekiah was extremely outnumbered, but would not give into the Syrian king, so he got down on his knees and begged God to intercede.  As it is recorded, that night, an angel of the Lord smote 185,000 men of this same king, whereby the king had to retreat.  This can be accounted for strictly by the FAITH of Hezzikiah - PERIOD! 

      If anyone seriously reflects on this, he or she would tend, I think, to gravitate toward becoming a REAL soldier of Christ, fully armed to do spiritual battle, while praying and forgiving one's enemies, be they Romans or Britons....This is the only sane conclusion I could come to, especially in light of the unbelievable tragedies of physical warfare throughout these past two thousand years.  Before we defend ourselves, we should always pray for spiritual guidance, to make absolutely sure we do not become like our physical enemies, and take on their mean-spirited demons. If we have this attitude, when we have to defend someone (or a group) out of justice, we will do so with as much restraint as possible, and beg the Lord to give us the grace to do it spiritually wisely.

     I realize that this is a difficult path to choose, yet it seems to me the only path for a true Christian. Even Gandhi, (of a different religion,) saw the wisdom of "fighting" the British Empire - not with guns - but rather with passive resistance.  The only thing with Gandhi, he did not pray to the Lord of lords, the King of kings for his success, but rather to a pagan god...and ironically, he was still successful...and perhaps the Lord of lords & King of kings was conveying a message; DO NOT DO VIOLENCE UPON YOUR ENEMY - AND VIOLENCE WILL NOT VISIT YOU!!!  These are actually the words of scripture, where killing only begets killing, one way or another.

    My prayer is that before striking your enemy ever again, you weigh it against the above words, and by all means pray to the Lord of lords and King of kings for REAL advice, as reflected in Jeremiah 33:3.

Very sincerely,

Byron LeBeau 

PS: In the magnificent words of St. Paul in ROMANS 12:17-19, it states:

"Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, for far as it depends upaon you, live peacefully with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, 'Venegence is mine, I will repay, sayeth the Lord.'"

FOR FURTHER VIEWING & INSPECTION: Please take the time to view the documented true story, THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR, about the life of Desmond Doss who won the 'Congressional Medal of Honor' without firing a shot or carrying a weapon.  How did he do that? COME AND SEE! HINT: He saw himself as a "conscientious cooperator."  This 101 minute 2004 film was made by Terry Benedict  who saw Doss as one of his heroes while growing up, and wound up filming him and his unbelievable career as told to him by on older Doss and his confrers regarding the Japanese campaign during during WW II. Doss took the words of St. Paul and applied them to his own life under very stressful conditions, bringing new meaning to the word conviction!  

*****************************

FOR FURTHER READING, CF. THE POEM BY JOHHN RAY RYDER, JR. CALLED "THE OAK TREE," by going to the web page: http://inspectorblebeau.pbworks.com/w/page/36040360/THE-OAK-TREE

     A