Thursday, December 10, 2009

Going Home



This moving song 'Going Home' is a Celtic song, it features on a DVD I have been watching of the Civil War, 'Gods and Generals', this film is a profound insight into the values and spirit of humankind under extreme conditions and watching this made me think of the futility of war and in this context I am writing this post.
War is a sad, destructive thing, and though some wars have to be fought for the freedom and equality of the oppressed and minorities who are unjustly treated, it comes at a high cost.
My opinion here might seem naive and uninformed but from what I have seen and from my perspective is that it separates families, loved ones and often sets brother against brother in a battle where no-one really wins ... where a great majority are killed and don't return or are maimed and scarred both physically and emotionally for the rest of their life...
I mean no disrespect to any servicewoman or serviceman, who has in the past or is presently serving in harms way, I have the greatest respect for you and because of this I just wish there was a better way, as so many lives are lost or ruined in wars that cannot be won or never seem to end.
It is a shame that all of this might and power can't be put to a more passive use and unite us all in the name of Peace and being optimistic, all wars could end... ♥

They say there's a place 
where dreams have all gone
They never said where
but I think I know
It's miles through the night
just over the dawn
on the road that will take me home

I know in my bones
I've been here before
The ground feels the same
though the land's been torn
I've a long way to go
The stars tell me so
on this road that will take me home

Love waits for me 'round the bend
Leads me endlessly on
Surely sorrows shall find their end
and all our troubles will be gone
And I'll know what I've lost
and all that I've won
when the road finally takes me home

And when I pass by
don't lead me astray
Don't try to stop me
Don't stand in my way
I'm bound for the hills
where cool waters flow
on this road that will take me home

Love waits for me 'round the bend
Leads me endlessly on
Surely sorrows shall find their end
and all our troubles will be gone
And we'll know what we've lost
and all that we've won
when the road finally takes me home

I'm going home
I'm going home

21 comments:

ANNA-LYS said...

Couldn't have said it in this beautiful way, not my language, you know. It is sad, that we haven't developed more as humans. Some say it is natural, coz the animals are always fighting about power, borders and sex, but, I will look upon the human creature as smarter than this.Same says it is the natural way to lower the high unemployment all over the world ...

Sad it is, very sad, indeed.

(( hug ))

dianne said...

Thanks dear Anna-Lys , I'm sure you could have said this in your own beautiful way and in your language.
I watch these documentaries and films on various wars and read about the Crusades and all I see is fields littered with the bodies of our youth, wasted generations of young people who are supposed to be our future, citizens killed, cities levelled from bombs and worse with the new weapons of today.
I had hoped we would develop more as humans, in a way towards settling problems in a peaceful manner but we keep making the same mistakes...being drawn into wars which have been going on for generations. I feel badly for the the conditions that innocent people have to endure but I also feel for the young men and women who are sent to these wars as peacekeepers only to be killed by those they are trying to help...I cannot understand it, to me it is beyond comprehension. ♡

Little Lamb said...

Yes, war does stink.

dianne said...

It sure does Lamby dear, there must be a better way forward. ♡

Ellie Kings said...

Soon... very soon... we won't hear of wars anymore. That will be a wonderful day! Love this post, your honesty and the poem is absolutely beautiful! Have a nice evening!
Ellie

dianne said...

Thank you ~Ellie~ dear,
yes that would be a wonderful day.
I'm pleased you liked my post and I was being honest, actually I thought I might be criticised for my views and my honesty but I have seen first hand the after effects that war has had on some returned service people.
Yes the poem, the words of this song are very beautiful, it is such a shame that so many did not get to 'go home'.

Have a lovely day. ♡
Dianne

Shweta Tiwari said...

Very true Dianne
These wars seem to me like a endless nightmare. Every morning i read about some riots, some blast in some corner of the earth. If it dies at one places, reborns at another. I may sound pessimistic,but i feel this way.
Hoping that a day will come when I'll not hear about any riot ,any blast ,any homicide and any terrorist attack from any corner of the earth.
Wish the day come soon..
Take care sweetheart
Love

HLiza said...

I hate wars too..sorry for not visiting for a while Dianne..you know life gets in the way..but just remember you're always special in my heart!

dianne said...

Thanks Shweta dear,
yes these wars do seem endless, the news is always full of some new insurgence somewhere in the world, attacks and riots and then the retribution and on it goes...I don't know when it will all end, I wish for a time when it will.
We have enough natural disasters and see the aftermath of human suffering from them yet these wars could be prevented.

Please don't worry my sweet little friend, look at all of the things in the world that are still beautiful, we have to have a balance and there is still very much to be hopeful about. ♡

You take care too sweetheart,
love Dianne xo ♡

dianne said...

Lovely to see you HLiza and thanks, you are special to me as well.
I have missed you but I do understand how busy you are and you have really had a trying year...I do hope your eye will keep on improving and I hope your vision will completely return...it is nice to read that your husband is so supportive but I know you would do the same for him. :)

Take care dear HLiza.
love Dianne xo ♡

The Phosgene Kid said...

Gods and Generals was a disappointment or me. Killer Angels remains the best movie in the whole series. The three books weren't bad, but once again Killer Angels outshone the rest of the series. That and I always felt Gen Jackson was a complete nutter.

Anonymous said...

People will die in wars as long as they pick up guns to stop wars. It can't be put more simply.

Jesus Christ emphasized that his followers were to love their enemies. It's impossible to discuss what Jesus might have thought about war without quoting what he said, recorded in the Bible. When Peter took a sword out & cut off the ear of Malchus, the slave of the high priest, Jesus said to him:

“Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)

However, to justify conquering neighbouring countries to 'convert' them to Christianity as well as protecting & retaining those countries already gained, this simple command by Jesus began to be seen as an obstacle by an ever more powerful & corrupt Christendom.

Hence, in the 4th century Augustine II, Bishop of Hippo Regius, & the priest Thomas Aquinas, put conditions on Jesus' straightforward command to 'love your neighbour as yourself' adding the new concept of a 'Just War' where if certain conditions are met (namely, those conditions that the church fathers themselves proposed), then the use of violence is justified to go to war, & war will be permitted, even approved, by God himself.

As a result, the interpretation of those conditions by the later Crusaders led to them being used to justify whatever goal they desired.

Since Augustine's times, & with the approval of their religious leaders, young men of 'Christian' countries, have been encouraged to put on uniforms, pick up rifles, climb into tanks, board ships with flags flying high & gone to defend their 'mother country' against the invading enemy (or an enemy whose intentions appear to be that they will invade).

But Paul's advice in Colossians 3:10 remains:

“But now really put them all away from you, wrath, anger, badness, abusive speech, & obscene talk out of your mouth. Do not be lying to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices, & clothe yourselves with the new [personality]”

While James 1:22-24 adds:

“However, become doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, & not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, & off he goes & immediately forgets what sort of man he is.”

In the end, it all depends on how one's conscience allows one to interpret Jesus' words to 'love your neighbour as yourself'. As far as the Bible is concerned, the message seems to be that we have to stop fighting if we want to stop fighting.

How is it that children can see this without difficulty when you tell them to stop fighting & they turn red with shame when they are held to account for what they are doing wrong? Is is because they know at that age what's right and wrong because they have been clearly told by their parents?

(Have a peaceful day, Dianne!)

dianne said...

It was a disappointment for me too Phossy dear.
Killer Angels was released here on DVD under the title of 'Gettysburg' and yes it is very interesting though I must confess I am having trouble keeping up with all of these Generals, Colonels and Sargeants...but really not my kind of film even though it was historical. I liked the closeness between Lt Col. Lawrence Chamberlain and his brother Sgt.Tom Chamberlain and the comraderie between Chamberlain and Sgt. Buster Kilrain who was a great leveller when he said "All men are killer angels and there is no goodness in them'...though I don't believe that is true.
I was actually watching it purely out of historical interest and I thought what a beautiful place it is and what a bloody war it was where so many died unnecessarily.
Yes 'Stonewall Jackson' certainly was eccentric.
Thanks for stopping by Phos. ♡

dianne said...

Yes dear Alexander what you say is true but I don't know how to answer you for man will always take up arms against other men in the name of war, a cause for the freedom of others and it has been happening for centuries.

I don't believe that it is right and as you have said the message is 'if you want to stop fighting you must stop fighting' but that is easier said than done for we have been conditioned to fight back when we are attacked or we go to war to protect the innocent...it is a terrible thought that we have to kill in order to save the lives of others...it doesn't make sense.
It would be wonderful if we could 'love our neighbour as we love ourselves'that would be for the greater good if all observed this message but I don't believe this will ever happen.
I'm not condoning war and in a perfect world the words from the Bible are a great source of guidance...but it is not a perfect world and I don't think it has ever been or will be.

Your passage from James 1:22-24 adds:

“However, become doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, & not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, & off he goes & immediately forgets what sort of man he is.”

I don't believe that all men who do go to war are evil nor are they deceiving themselves that what is expected of them is right and I dont think I am deluding myself in saying that most go to support their fellow countrymen in a cause that they believe in whether misguided or not.

Thank you, I will try to have a peaceful day for I try to live a good life and don't ever wish to harm anyone. ♡

darkfoam said...

i have not watched this movie or read the book although we do have the dvd and the book. i really should. my great grandfather was in the 14th Reg. Inf., Co. F - Beauregard Rifles during the civil war. another great grandfather fought in that war as well. subsequently i've had grandfathers, a father and uncles, brother-in-laws who've fought (and some died) in the other wars ..
i abhor war ..

dianne said...

Thank you dear Foamy for this comment and I am sorry you have lost many relatives in wars...
As I said to Phossy, Gettysburg is the better of the trilogy and I think worth watching...so too is 'Glory' which is about the first all-black volunteer company, lead by Col.Robert Gould Shaw...it is an insight into prejudice, the good spirit of some and the worst spirit in others. War does bring out the worst in some men but I feel they would be this way wherever they were and some inspire us with their humanity and spirit for goodness to rise above the horrors of war and still show compassion...I enjoyed this film and so too the series 'Band of Brothers'.
I have relatives who died in WW1 and WW2 and some relatives and aquaintances who came home and were never the same again, just a shell of the person they once were, my father-in-law, some uncles,a cousin and friends who fought in Vietnam.
Yes too many good people lost and the heartache for those they left behind. ♡

Ruela said...

Happy Xmas ;)

dianne said...

Thank you Ruela dear
I wish you the same...
Happy Christmas! :) ♡

puerileuwaite said...

I think every dispute could and should be settled with a best out of 7, Rock, Paper, Scissors contest. Any country which does not comply shall be invaded by force.

dianne said...

If only it were that simple Puggles my sweet, best out of 7, Rock, Paper, Scissors...all of the world's problems could possibly be solved. ♡

Leovi said...

The lyrics of the song is beautiful, but I could not hear music because it reported that the user removed the video. Greetings.