Soapbox Time

Saturday 6 May

Turns out that Simon forgot our meeting-- he sought me out to apologise at dinner, and in the meantime must've allowed at least three other vollies to witness his subsequent search for me. I suppose in the past I might've felt hurt. I don't think I do now.

I have a particularly difficult time, though, of making sense of four new American vollies coming next week, and the much-celebrated showing of Team America last night. I know I'm highly sensitive about all this-- but the fact remains that I am not totally paranoid. Everyone here openly opposes Bush's policies, and though I'm with them on that, I don't agree with that leading to them using Americans as a scapegoat. Yes, I am guilty of not doing more to fight injustice and oppression, but you are too, Britain. We are simul justus et peccator (simultaneously saint and sinner), just as all of us are oppressor and oppressed at the same time. I am guilty. You are guilty. So were Ghandi and Mother Theresa, and not just in some vague matter of principle. Even canonised saints like Columba gave into evil impulses to harm themselves, others and the world. We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. Christ is the liberator with the keys of salvation. And from that point, we choose whether to shake off our shackles and operate with unrestrained hands and unbound feet.

Anyway, I'll step down from my soapbox now. I just really dislike elitism (even, let me remember, in myself).