The return of the Messiah

Perception is a wonderful gift.

On a trip out from the NATO stronghold I worked in to see the little girl I was helping with her eyesight I was accompanied by a translator. In those days I did not speak Bosnian. I still don’t speak Bosnian. But with the arrogance of the western world spreading as is does everyone you met spoke English, or more correctly American. Or even more correctly American sit-comesse. Satellite dishes come before schools and hospitals when a country has been decimated. Or more correctly before food and chimneys and roads and well, everything you can think of really.

In the town there was one set of traffic lights. I think they were there simply as a guide to whether electricity was available or not. Guess what though, as we stopped to let the mafia take right of way as if by magic a gypsy appeared. Instead of a fiddle he had a ‘squeegee’ in his hand. This enterprising fellow was washing windshields. As I thought on how in Britain drivers complain at being harassed by such a noble form of begging I asked the translator on her views. She was delighted this guy was here. Her attitude was if the itinerants were hanging around then there was little likelihood that any serious gunfire would be nearby. Smart chaps these gypsy types, they bugger off at the first sign of trouble you see. Interesting theory, except it’s no theory.

On the way back from doing our good deed for the day I saw the largest convoy of military hardware I have ever seen assembled on a public highway. There were transporters with tanks, personnel carriers, armory trucks, jeeps, hummers, you name it if it was khaki or camouflaged it was in this line up. If I were to guess this mobile militia was at least over a couple of kilometres long. It moved slowly, very, very slowly. And then I saw why. A Bosnian worthy with not a care in the world was heading the whole show on a donkey. The full might of the combined forces of the ‘free’ world held to ransom by a man on an ass.

It made me wonder if Jesus had come back amongst us without letting on. Judging by the haggard appearance there would have to be an awful lot of iconography binned across the Christian side of the planet if it was him. I took a photograph. I need to get it out. It’s time the sofa had a laugh.