Looking for Light

This week, I was thinking of one of the very first folk songs I ever learned: “One Tin Soldier” by The Original Caste. My mom had it on a cassette, and I would listen to it on repeat when I was around five or six until I learned all the words. The sarcasm of the refrain was so gripping: “Go ahead and hate your neighbour; go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end. There won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgement day on the bloody morning after one tin soldier rides away.”

If you've never heard it, you can watch the animated music video, circa-1970s style, below. It's quite a powerful little parable.

Sadly, it's a parable we still need. Every year—every month, it seems—there is a new and heartbreaking conflict somewhere in the world. Everyone thinks their own side is right, and some think that gives them the right to take what they perceive is theirs by force... no matter who gets hurt along the way.

Am I a pacifist? I don't know. I've never thought about it that hard. I do believe there is a time to take up arms to defend oneself, so I guess not. But I also believe that by the time it gets to that point, many things have gone horribly wrong, and it would be better to use diplomacy.

This isn't a direct comment about the war in Israel. For my own mental health, I tend to keep myself at an arm's distance from the news, so I don't feel informed enough to comment. Even just knowing this kind of war and destruction is happening in the world feels like such a burden to me. I would love to see love win. But nations don't fight wars with love.

Still, I believe that many of the things that are wrong with the world could be made right if more people heeded Mr. King's advice. It may not be until kingdom come. But I'm looking forward to the day when love drives out hate and light drives out darkness.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.