Lonely Caterpillar
 

Love that conquers fear.

Sometimes I feel like the whole world is just filled with pain. I turn on the TV and instantly there is an advertisement for a charity for children starving, elderly suffering, adults struggling.

Ive watched friends walk through the most difficult times. Ive seen so many unfair circumstances and saw families fall apart, sickness overwhelm loved ones and pain steal hopes and dreams from far too many young people.

Sometimes the world just feels like the darkest place.

This week while in Dublin, myself and some friends went to visit Kilmainham Gaol. This is the prison best known for the role it played in holding the prisoners from the Easter Rising. I have a real interest in prisons and the history of them, and the current prison and justice system. I have actually always avoided visiting prisons that are opened to tourist as I couldn’t bare the thought of listening to people mock or belittle the deaths of people, regardless of their crimes. (I know my opinion on people in prisons is an unusual one, but everyone has to care for different things don’t we?). I needn’t have worried in this circumstance however as the tour is done with the utmost respect and each story is told with respect that these where people, not simply hardened criminals. Given the political situation that goes a long with Ireland/Northern Ireland, it is worth noting that this is a well rounded unbiased tour.

What stands out within this tour, far more than any political agenda these men and women had (and of course that a hugely important part of their stories), is the love stories. The things that are most remembered and evoke most emotions are the stories of a marriage just hours before death and last requests to see mothers and families. This Prison emphasises the humanity in the mists of chaos and pain. As I walked through that prison and pictured all the men and women who lived in those tiny cells in that cold stone building I could almost feel the love. I could picture the women imprisoned in the civil war, rallied round together planning how to move forward, sharing how much they had already overcome, sharing finding strength in their heart break and pain. I could picture the men, peaceful and contented going to their death, knowing that their love for their country was cemented forever.

Now lets be clear, none of this is opinion on what was the rights or wrongs in these situations and I know that loyalty and patriotism has brought countries to unneeded wars. I think in the most part, the logical folk of the world know for sure that violence and war is not how we should achieve our goals. This was a different time, when war raged through Europe, the world was a dark and scary place for every one.

My point in this is that even in the most darkest of times there is always a glimmer of hope. I cant really imagine anything more terrifying that facing your execution, or the death of your, son/brother/husband. To have love overcome a fear like that, is there really any darkness that it can not over come?

This doesn’t mean that if you are in a dark place you need to be still and wait for love to find you, you don’t need to love the darkness either. Remember light can shine through in the unexpected places. If the door is boarded and there are bars on the windows, look for the small, still light breaking through the cracks in the wall. Run to that light and do not keep focused on that barred door.

Hold onto the love and light, don’t focus on the pain and challenges but focus on what drives you through to happiness.