Spirit Quest
By The Rev. Dr. Hanns F. Skoutajan
I first took notice of him in the departure room at the airport. He slightly resembled the celebrated Khadar of Guatanamo fame, the young Canadian whose plight our government long ignored. But what really took my eye was the short-sleeved black T-shirt which he wore over a long-sleeved white T-shirt. It was embellished with a barbed wire design, a tank that was crossed out with a red X. The words “Ban All Wars” were on the front and back of his garment.
I lost track of him on the plane, presumably he was not in Business Class and neither was I. Many hours later, across the ocean, having arrived at my Canadian destination, we stood for a few moments facing in opposite directions in the snake of passengers moving towards the official entry into the “Peaceable Kingdom”. It was long enough to notice that he was carrying a Canadian passport.
When finally I got close to the front of the line I saw him again just as he was moving up to the official in his cubicle. The youth handed him his passport and the official looked at it, looked at him, looked longer at the document and then proceeded to question him. I was out of earshot and can only assume, imagine, perhaps fantasize about what went on between them. Presently the official left his cubicle and some moments later returned. The conversation continued.
Now it was my turn to step up to the wicket. An official looked at me, my passport, saw my gray hair and waved me on. I was cleared for landing. When I looked back the young man was still standing before the officer/interrogator.
I tried to wait for him but then, urged by my bladder, I moved on to find relief. I have continued to wonder. Of course I could not know, could only guess that this youth with his T-shirt message raised some questions in the official mind. I am not generally of a suspicious nature but could not help but wonder. Did his antiwar shirt raise suspicions in the officer? Did advocating peace offend some rule?
Undoubtedly the officer was simply following orders. When Adolf Eichman defended his actions in Nazi Germany it was clear, it was Der Fuehrer’s orders. In democratic Canada it seems less clear. Is there a rubric in his instruction manual drawing attention to youth, especially dark-skinned ones, advocating the banning of war in a country that is at war?
Our front line officers are there to protect us from terrorists or misleading opinions and adverse influences. I am a naive clergyman, an impractical “do-gooder” who, in the 70s, used to protest against the cruise missile and other nuclear arms, I have concerns. Should I really allow others in authority to tell me what to think or scare me into compliance? As a citizen is it not my duty to question official dogma? In a way I envied the young man for his act of peaceful effrontery. I had wondered when I first read the message on his shirt, what were his intentions? Surely he would know that his shirt might raise official eyebrows, possibly delay his arrival even cause him to miss a connecting flight, and have his name entered on some secret list. But I am just guessing, ruminating, conjecturing about the incident I have described.
While I believe that there is a spirit of peace alive in this country, indeed a majority of our citizens prefer to have our engagement in Afghanistan ended, there are other even malign spirits about, call them fear and bigotry. The Apostle Paul, the earliest Christian blogger, warned about “principalities and powers” that hold sway.
I hope, I pray, that the spirit of peace and love may prevail. I even dare to believe that that spirit is a’ movin’.
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