Inertia*

A lump of metal, well machined but lifeless sits on the car seat, staring hard at me while its owner is absent and I feel sick to my core. As I sit there I feel fear and disgust as well as sadness: so how can an impassive, inert object instil such deep feelings in me? This lump of machined metal is a machine gun belonging to the guard of our convoy.

The fear and disgust emanate not from that innocent lump of metal but rather the intentions behind the very human act of creation of a weapon. That someone can use it to take the life of another saddens me deeply, yet the irony is that I feel somewhat safer that our guard is armed and, indeed, if he were not he would serve no purpose on our journey.

In applying the same perspective to the myriad weapons designed to kill our fellow man, the sadness deepens still, tears welling up from within as I become aware of how, by my inertia, I too am as guilty as the next for the deaths in the name of this or that, that in reality have no justification, sat here in my safe, comfortable surroundings.

* This piece is not featured in my book, Love in Abundance