Mine enemy is my neighbour
I like this story to- again from the River Kwai.
'These were the enemy, more cowed and defeated than we had ever been.
Without a word, most of the officers in my section unbuckled their packs, took out part of their ration and a reg or two, and with water canteens in their hands went over to the Japanese trian to help them. Our gards tried to prevent us, but we ignored them and knelt by the side of the enemy to give them food and water, to clean and bind up their wounds, to smile and say a kind word. Grateful cries followed us when we left.
An Allied officer from another section of the train had been taking it all in. "What bloody fools you all are!" he said to me. "Don't you realise that those are the enemy?"
"Have you never heard the story of the man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho?" I asked him. He gave me a blank look, so I continued, "He was attacked by thugs, stripped of everything and left to die. Along came a priest; he passed him by. Then came a lawyer, a man of high principles; he passed him as well. Next came a Samaritan, a halp-caste, a heretic, an enemy. But he didn't pass by; he stopped. His heart was filled with compassion. Kneeling down, he poured some wine through the unconscious lips, cleaned and dressed the helpless man's wounds, then took him to an inn where he had him cared for at him own expense."
"But that's different!" the officer protested angrily. " THat's in the bible. These are the swine who've starved us and beaten us. They've murdered our comrades. These are our enemies."
"Who is my enemy? Isn't he my neighbour? God makes neighbours; we make enemies. whether we like it or mot, we are the ones who create the enemy and lose the neighbour. Mine enemy is my neighbour!"'
'These were the enemy, more cowed and defeated than we had ever been.
Without a word, most of the officers in my section unbuckled their packs, took out part of their ration and a reg or two, and with water canteens in their hands went over to the Japanese trian to help them. Our gards tried to prevent us, but we ignored them and knelt by the side of the enemy to give them food and water, to clean and bind up their wounds, to smile and say a kind word. Grateful cries followed us when we left.
An Allied officer from another section of the train had been taking it all in. "What bloody fools you all are!" he said to me. "Don't you realise that those are the enemy?"
"Have you never heard the story of the man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho?" I asked him. He gave me a blank look, so I continued, "He was attacked by thugs, stripped of everything and left to die. Along came a priest; he passed him by. Then came a lawyer, a man of high principles; he passed him as well. Next came a Samaritan, a halp-caste, a heretic, an enemy. But he didn't pass by; he stopped. His heart was filled with compassion. Kneeling down, he poured some wine through the unconscious lips, cleaned and dressed the helpless man's wounds, then took him to an inn where he had him cared for at him own expense."
"But that's different!" the officer protested angrily. " THat's in the bible. These are the swine who've starved us and beaten us. They've murdered our comrades. These are our enemies."
"Who is my enemy? Isn't he my neighbour? God makes neighbours; we make enemies. whether we like it or mot, we are the ones who create the enemy and lose the neighbour. Mine enemy is my neighbour!"'
posted by Mim @ 8:35 PM
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