There Could Be Bombs…

Don't take peace for granted. Ever. Not in your home, community, workplace, or country. To live in peace is not the default human condition if you look back in history.

I was born in 1987. We don't need to step into a time machine and go back to the Mongols or the Viking raids to find war. For me personally, if I was born a mere 87 years earlier in the exact same location here in Cork, Ireland, here is what I would have witnessed:

I would have been born under the rule of Britain. This would lead to political and armed strife as my nation fought for our sovereignty. As I entered into my teenage years, I would have heard people talk about the Great War. This war, known now as World War 1, would have led to almost 20 million people dying and used weaponry never seen before on earth.

I would have been 16 when the Irish War for Independence really started to gain momentum. Guerrilla warfare was waged by some of the Irish population against the crown forces. People were hiding guns and ammunition all over the countryside and towns in places called safe houses. Raids happened frequently by the British forces even if you were not involved.

At the age of 20, I would have seen the majority of my city of Cork being burnt to the ground by British forces as a consequence of one of their garrisons being attacked. This was known as the Burning of Cork. As I entered my twenties, I would have seen the brutal civil war that took place in Ireland after independence was gained from Britain. It was a cruel war where families and communities were split, brother against brother. Bad things happened at this time. 

In 1940, I probably would have looked out from the coast of Ireland  looking for any of the famous aerial dog fighting in the  Battle of Britain, as World War 2 raged. In Ireland, we called this the Emergency. As we are a neutral country, we had an army ready to defend our coastline from invasion. These were tumultuous times as Hitler did have a plan to invade Ireland. It was called Operation Sea Lion. Our fear was justified.

When the war turned, I may have been relieved to learn of the D-Day landing and the brave soldiers that landed on those beaches in Normandy.  I would have reacted with sadness when I heard of the bombing of Hamburg and Operation Gomorrah. Literally, a firestorm of tornadoes of fire fell upon this German city. Then at the age of 45, I would have learned that an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Over 75 million died in World War 2. I am going to stop there. You get the message. 

The above was not meant to scare you. It is there to tell you how blessed you are to live in this relative age of peace. If you can have the luxury of complaining about gloriously mundane problems, you are blessed. We always need to be aware of how precarious peace is and how we need to make our contribution to maintaining it, particularly in our homes and communities. Life is good. Focus on joy, love, and connecting with others.

Reflection 🤔

Take a moment to relish the peace you find yourself in. That Sunday morning as you read your emails and drink your coffee, as your little girl laughs around the house and you make small talk with your neighbours across the fence. No bombs are falling; there is peace. We think of anybody affected by the horrors of war, people who have had to flee because their lives are in danger. May peace return to their internal and external worlds.

Have a blessed week ✨

God Bless 🙏

Mike Mccarthy