Scars tell a story but which one?
“J there was a lot of tension in my town and as I grew older I became more aware of it and more involved in it. Let me bring you to Easter Monday 1986, I was fifteen then.”
“Can you see the lamposts? Can you see the posters attached to them? Each one of them reads, ‘Let him without sin cast the first stone’.”
“Yes I see the posters and I also see a lot of people as if waiting for something to happen.”
“I am not sure we want to watch the scene as it gets ugly. Despite the ugliness of the day remembering these signs always brings a smile to my face. If we stay around we will see a riot break out where many stones were thrown at the Police in the town centre. Those marches that I showed you earlier became more contentious and with it came widespread disorder as two communities tried to work out how to live side by side.”
“I always thought the person who put up those posters was trying to prevent a riot. I like to think they at least stalled it as protestors contemplated the words.”
“There was a young lad shot by a plastic bullet that day who subsequently died. I recall him being carried from where he fell to a safer place until the ambulance arrived. I could see the head injury.”
“I suppose I want to return to this place J in a hope that somehow we can redeem it.”
“G what has been has been. You remember the story of Samson? His hair was cut off and in that so was his strength. He became a prisoner though as he lived an imprisoned life his hair was growing so gradually that even Samson hadn’t noticed. Then one day he noticed and that day he demolished his prison and was once again free.”
“For as long as you dwell on the past part of your life remains there. Today is a new day and is to be lived in fullness. If you look at this same town today it has moved on it is bustling with life its hair has grown again.”
“I died once but lived twice. Greater is the story of redemption and resurrection than the story of pain. The scars may remain though which story do you tell, of the healing or of the pain?”
g.
