Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

I realize that some of you who read this blog have absolutely no idea who Guy Fawkes is. Allow me to shed some light on this subject:

Guy Fawkes (the word "guy", meaning "man" or "person", is derived from his name) belonged to a group of Roman Catholics from England who planned the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their aim was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I and the entire Protestant, and some Catholic, aristocracy and nobility were inside.

The Gunpowder Plot was initially led by someone else, but Fawkes was the guy (haha) in charge of the execution of the plot. He was arrested, however, a few hours before the explosion was to be set off. Apparently, Scotland Yard was notified by an anonymous letter.

Now, on 5 November in the UK, there is Guy Fawkes Night, aka bonfire night. In commemoration of this magnificent plot, the people burn an effigy of Fawkes and the celebration is often accompanied by fireworks. OOo!! AAAaah!

So, Happy Guy Fawkes Day.

Imagine

I cannot profess to agree with everything John Lennon did nor all that he said. But I must say, one of the most beautiful songs in rock history is Imagine. I sometimes look at our world, and feel the despair of countries where horrible things happen, simply because someone is different. Looking back through history, the horrific images in our texts all relate to this fact: someone thought they were superior to another and felt they had a right to desecrate that which they held most dear. Often times, this was the very breath in their chests.

So yes, this time I do agree with John Lennon...if only we could respect one another as children of God. And not see the differences in each others skin, in each others faith, in each others language. Just....imagine what the world would be like then.

Imagine there’s no heaven
it’s easy if you try
no hell below us
above us only sky
imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
it isn’t hard to do
nothing to kill or die for
no religion too
imagine all the people living life in peace

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
no need for greed or hunger
a brotherhood of man
imagine all the people sharing all the world

You may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
and the world will live as one