The New Defiance
Saturday, 16. July 2005, 13:56:31
As the death toll rose, I took time this morning to read the London coverage on CNN.com in detail.
It appears the man whose friends were searching for him <http://flickr.com/photos/grabby/24464269/in/pool-bomb/> was among those killed. I believe he must have been Jamie Gordon, 30, who worked for City Asset Management. The poster from his friends made it all real to me. The omoiyari moment.
Today I scrolled through the complete list of victims <http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/london.bombing/victims.html> looking at all the faces, reading the circumstances that led them to be riding train or bus at the wrong moment.
Work, meetings, home after a night shift. The minute of every life set theirs on the path to harm. In one case a man died on a bus after being evacuated from a train station.
Turning the other cheek
I've heard it said we misunderstand the message of "turn the other cheek." It has been diluted in the translation. The original message was not suggesting that once a cheek was slapped the other was to be offered in docile compliance.
The other cheek was to be offered fiercely and with defiance.
It's certainly a new kind of battle for Westerners, the battle of everyday routine. But going on is definace. Performing the minute is rebellion. It reminds me of that moment in Les Misérables http://www.lesmis.com/ when "Do You Hear the People Sing" is performed and gradually more and more voices join the chorus. We're not afraid is the new song of angry men.
I think We're not Afraid! <http://www.werenotafraid.com/> has it right.
It appears the man whose friends were searching for him <http://flickr.com/photos/grabby/24464269/in/pool-bomb/> was among those killed. I believe he must have been Jamie Gordon, 30, who worked for City Asset Management. The poster from his friends made it all real to me. The omoiyari moment.
Today I scrolled through the complete list of victims <http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/london.bombing/victims.html> looking at all the faces, reading the circumstances that led them to be riding train or bus at the wrong moment.
Work, meetings, home after a night shift. The minute of every life set theirs on the path to harm. In one case a man died on a bus after being evacuated from a train station.
Turning the other cheek
I've heard it said we misunderstand the message of "turn the other cheek." It has been diluted in the translation. The original message was not suggesting that once a cheek was slapped the other was to be offered in docile compliance.
The other cheek was to be offered fiercely and with defiance.
It's certainly a new kind of battle for Westerners, the battle of everyday routine. But going on is definace. Performing the minute is rebellion. It reminds me of that moment in Les Misérables http://www.lesmis.com/ when "Do You Hear the People Sing" is performed and gradually more and more voices join the chorus. We're not afraid is the new song of angry men.
I think We're not Afraid! <http://www.werenotafraid.com/> has it right.
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