I've spent the last few sunday nights watching the TV Series Band of Brothers with some mates. A sober experience, but a good one. A few things that made a big impression on me:
1) This is not another world. Some of these guys are still alive. It is not fantasy. People organised and ran the concentration camps. Maybe there was a particular evil at work in Nazi Germany, but it's still got to give us some serious questions about the nature of humanity.
2)There were a number of events in the series that made me angry, and I think that's appropriate. Some things are unjust and should not be allowed. The concept of 'holy discontent' is a handy thing going round church circles: 'If it makes you mad, that's probably because you're supposed to do something about it.' But in the face of sickening injustice in our world, 'holy discontent' is insufficient. We need righteous anger*.
3) Pacifism is not necessarily always right. Saving Private Ryan really hammered this one into me. Film is a contrived medium making a point, and it maybe the film has convinced me of something that isn't true, but you can read a logical argument of the point if you can get hold of CS Lewis' essay 'Why I am not a pacifist'. Essentially, I experienced for the first time the realisation that I could kill. Theoretically troubling. Yes. But in certain circumstances, perhaps the appropriate action. I'm not going to try and define those circumstances! And I hope I never have to kill anyone. But I also hope that I never lack physical courage in a situation where it's needed.
4) Two heads are better than one. Both on screen and in our freezing lounge, it was obvious that doing things with other people is far more enjoyable than alone, even if less efficient (I actually think like that. Isn't it shocking!) I got completely overwhelmed with the last performance I organised, and watched as God sent me people each day to lighten the load. Made me realise I'd been trying to do it all alone again. I confided this to my friend Simon and he said yes, stuff is always more enjoyable done in team. And in fact, the family is like the ultimate team. When I potter round the house for an evening doing bits and bobs, I get in a wierd negative fuddle. When Simon does the same with his family, it's lovely. This is the reason the thought of 'going travelling' on my own fills me with dread. The misery is only 'part of life's rich tapestry' if you've got someone to joke with about the horror (when I went to the Great Wall of China, the 7th wonder of the world, it was covered in cloud. Me and my sister decided it should be called the 'shy wall of china'). Throughout my time in Uganda in 2009 I was thinking, 'next time I'll come with my family and it will be much better still'. And at this year's Everything conference, Andy Crouch described in detail how it takes several groups of people to make a vision become reality. Never just one person alone. I've got to learn.
Now I wonder what I'll learn from The Pacific...
*Thanks Chris and Lorna!
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