I was reminder this week of the pyromaniac who burned down the old mews house which formed part of our church complex in Pearse Street about 20 years ago. He then contacted the fire brigade to come and put the fire out! The antics of one of our TD’s were not all that dissimilar.
The TD was Paul Murphy who has been able to get people behind him in support of common causes, such as not paying for water, where he has had some success. On this occasion two ladies, one a former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her assistant Karen O’Connell, were leaving a function in a school in Jobstown, Dublin, when their car was surrounded by local residents preventing it from leaving the area for over 2 hours. During that time a certain amount of intimidation of the women took place and around 100 policemen were involved.
At the conclusion of their recent court case Paul Murphy and 5 other men were absolved from the charge of falsely imprisoning the two women and freed without charge.
Apparently they had organised the event and then when the police could not get the people to disperse they asked Murphy to lend them his assistance!
He addressed the crowd with a megaphone seeking their opinion as to whether or not the car should be allowed to drive off or be retained all night! This exhibition of people power was commented on by the Taoiseach who likened it to a scene from the book “Lord of the Flies”! (the book involves children marooned on a deserted island playing games which get out of control).
Eventually the police landrover led the car, with the two women still trapped in it, to safety. All this took place in November 2015.
In the Dáil this week Murphy tried to accuse the police of perjury during the course of the 8-week trial. This was rebuffed by the Taoiseach who emphasised that Murphy had had his time in court and was found to be not guilty. He was not a victim the implication being that he should stop behaving like one. Any case against the police would be handled by the appropriate watchdog – GSOC.
The handling of a peaceful protest which grows into something larger and is then eventually brought under control by the one who organised it is more akin to revolutionary tactics than to observing the rule of law.
Jesus never tried to manipulate a crowd, quite the reverse. The crowd that welcomed him to Jerusalem one day with Hosannas (meaning save us now you Davidic Messiah) were calling to Pilate to crucify him the next day (St Matthew Chapters 21 verse 9 and 27 verses 22 to 25).
The crowd accepted responsibility for his death something which St Peter reminded them of a couple of months later at his examination (Acts 4 verses 8 to 12). But they were also given the clearest notice as to how they could be saved – through the name of Jesus (verse 12).
Lasting change does not come from people power but from faith in a risen Saviour.