Briefest Rumination on the 14th of July

Of course the storming of the Bastille on this day in 1789 was a symbol. The fortress-prison held seven inmates. However they were there at the royal pleasure, as it were, and so stood for all those who suffered under the heel of absolute monarchy. I suggest the liberation of that prison stands for all such struggles past, present and future.

The French revolution is a complicated affair, showing the ravages of unintended consequences, as well as demonstrating humanity’s yearning for freedom. And this should hang in the back of the head of anyone thinking about these matters…

For me while the bitterness of the revolution should never be forgotten, it is also a moment in time, a marker for something precious and good. And that should never be forgotten, either.

And so as we lurch forward through history, as we aspire to the ideals of liberty and equality and fraternity in our own lives, as we seek to weave a world of justice and equity, it is good to pause and recall, shadowed of course, nuanced naturally, the hope that this day symbolizes…

Vive la France!