There’s a lot of dictators like Herod around in our time.
And like Herod they’ve all committed crimes to gain and maintain themselves in power.
It often seems as if they will always evade justice; but tis story reminds us they cannot avoid the justice of their own hearts.
Their own crims willvisit them: and will haunt them.
The King in my Ines de Castro says:
“KING
I keep having dreams. People keep knocking on the door. & I have to open it. I say, it isn't right, I'm the king. I shouldn't have to do this. I'm the king! But they take no notice. They just keep filing in. Hundreds of them. Hundreds. People with their wounds. All festering. Horrible. Horrible. It was a fair fight, I tell them. Entirely fair. Nothing personal. Just go away. Go away! But there's more of them. More. & more. & more
She never comes. Not Ines. Never. She knows better. It had to happen. I've no regrets. None. None at all.
I'm walking down a passage. It's very long. There are so many doors. I'm trying to open them but I've thrown away the keys. I'm naked & afraid. There's a man further up coming after me. I'm looking for some armour. I try all the doors. But I can't get in. I can't get in. I'm naked. Then I look down. My armour has become my skin.”
I wonder what dreams visited Assad in the years before he fled for his life.
And what dreams and fears will visit him now in his insecure sanctuary in Moscow.
Whatever they are, he can’t escape.
And nor can his colleagues in crime escape them.His colleagues in Tel Aviv. And Moscow. And Washington…
(Mark 6:14-16)
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