In this episode of the podcast, we're joined by special guest and friend of the show, Paul Kingsnorth, who tells us about his recent trip to Washington, D.C. where he had an encounter with a hero. We also talk about the growing pains of growing up in a world where the police are getting older, and football managers are getting old.
00:01:11.000But I'm coming because we're going to reschedule with Paul Kingsnorth and we'll just hang out.
00:01:17.000Michael L. Ross and Rozelle on Locals and Thought Criminal also on Locals and Sensitive Hearts on Locals and Trish McLeod and A. Rozelle on...
00:01:43.000So whoever you are and wherever you're watching us, we'll be taking communion together, talking a little bit about Scripture, and I'll be actually much more responsible Too responsive to your questions than usual.
00:02:02.000Because I've not got the distraction of another human being.
00:02:06.000I've got quite a lot of things to update you on.
00:02:09.000That trip to DC blew my mind a little bit.
00:04:08.000Like, when you're a kid, police are obviously adults and you get older and you start, policemen start looking younger and football managers start looking younger.
00:07:50.000I tell you what, I mean, you wouldn't go in there screaming Barack Obama four more years, let me tell you that.
00:07:57.000It felt like it was sort of like, it felt like, would you say that the military as a concept belongs to Republicans, even though the Democrat MIC is super powerful and they're, you know, like the military-industrial complex, don't care who they work with.
00:08:14.000I'm talking about true soldiers, though, and heroes and warriors.
00:08:18.000In 2006, provide support for military personnel severely injured in the global war on terror.
00:08:24.000Because the global war on terror is a political idea.
00:08:26.000That was a choice that was made post-9-11 to invade Iraq and take action in Afghanistan and Syria.
00:08:36.000Other countries that had nothing to do with 9-11, as we now know, as we now know as an indefatigable, straight-up, undeniable fact.
00:08:45.000So I guess the subtext of even that line in a non-political, by its own definition, website is the people that were critically injured and obviously in some cases killed for, if not nothing, a lie, a lie.
00:09:03.000And that's what it felt like there, is that there was an honour and dignity among those veterans that somehow is expressed through the military, because to be a warrior is a bold thing, sort of an almost undeniable and essential level.
00:09:19.000But there was also an awareness, a total, not the naivety of 20, 30 years ago, there was a total awareness that those wars were not legit.
00:09:30.000And the people themselves, the men, like I've listed them before, as best as I can remember, Jason and Daniel and Amos and Jake, Isaac, I've been in touch with Amos.
00:09:39.000I really want to do some stuff with these guys because I've been profoundly affected by them.
00:09:46.000And indeed, the reason I'm talking about it on Break Bread today is because I had an encounter with the Absolute, if I may say it.
00:09:54.000Those are the words of Bruce Lloyd, who's...
00:09:57.000My only therapist, but one of my spiritual guides, who when I told him the story of encountering Amos, gave me his diagnosis of what it was.
00:10:10.000Now, we've got footage of all this, and I wouldn't mind at some point putting all of this together, because I just arrived at that place, went on stage at the Hyatt Hilton, Washington, D.C., in a conference room in a basement, round table, sparsely populated.
00:10:26.000Just went directly onto the stage and started to interact with some of the vets that were present under the stewardship of Meredith, the woman that runs the thing.
00:10:38.000In fact, can you find Meredith on the website?
00:10:52.000And beautiful to meet them because why?
00:10:58.000Because the fact that they're in that situation of being at a charity event shows you, doesn't it?
00:11:04.000Let me know in the comments that they're not being appropriately cared for by the military organisations that were happy to use their lives and their bodies when it was convenient.
00:11:15.000And there's a requirement for charitable support.
00:11:20.000And then you meet the men themselves, and there was a woman actually, she was the photographer, and they are so...
00:11:27.000I'll tell you what it is when I feel inspired, is when I see someone in this situation, I think that's not how I would be if I was in that situation, to be specific.
00:11:38.000If I received significant facial burns and other injuries while in the service of my country, nearly said company again, Or if I lost both my legs in the service of my country and then I wasn't, like, for the rest of my life, put in a mansion and adored by the public and there wasn't a documentary on about me every day at 7pm, I don't think I'd be able to cope.
00:12:05.000Well, here are men in exactly that condition and not only are they not sulking, they're like radiant lights of human kindness.
00:12:15.000And it makes me realise, In the same way, when I met Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makari, I felt, oh, it's not like everything's ruined, it's just the correct people aren't in the correct positions.
00:12:25.000You know, now Jay Bhattacharya's the head of the NIH, if he's confirmed, and Marty Makari's the head of the FDA. Like, when you see valour and beauty and boldness, like I saw at the Helping a Hero event, it makes me realise that human beings do have the capacities endowed by God that are required, but we don't have systems that bring them to the forefront.
00:12:44.000So the reason I was so affected that day is that I saw human beings And I've not read my daily devotionals today because my wife is sick.
00:13:01.000A 24-hour bug has passed through our home.
00:14:30.000So if someone can get Jesus Calling and post it in the chat, I'd really love that.
00:14:33.000And if they do do that, guys, can you pull it so I can read it?
00:14:36.000And the other devotional reading, and I'm talking to you like Kazo or Mrs. CMS or Fort Criminal or you Captain Crunchybutt or Gene Bartlett, give us some help.
00:14:46.000Go find out the reading for today's day.
00:15:36.000And I don't want them to blame me, so in a way, I should be thinking about the people that gave it to Jake's family, or even the people that gave it to that, or not even seeing any distinction between us, seeing us all as a continuum and outflowing of the glory of God, which is what I felt on that Helping a Hero Day.
00:15:50.000I felt the absoluteness instead of the separateness of a life with God.