Friday, June 23, 2006
Life undervalued in the brave new world
Last Tuesday, whilst I waited for Gareth at London Bridge Station - I was struck by the mechanical sounds of the information voice synthesised announcement which stopped me in its tracks...."Ladies & Gentlemen...Unfortunately trains are delayed this afternoon at Bermondsey, due to a passenger under a train, we would like to apologise for this inconvenience and delay on your journey" And shortly afterwards...
"We are sorry to announce that trains are now not stopping at Bermondsey due to a passenger under a train, we would like to apologise for this inconvenience to your journey."
At the time I was quite shocked and angry that a precious human life was treated so disrespectfully. That something as sacred as a person that reflected the image of God, was so desperate that they had to try and kill themselves by throwing themselves under a train. That must of felt like hell, how in pain can that feel like, how awful that there was no solace for that lonely soul. But we can't say kill themselves for fear that we might upset our British consumer sensibilities. And all that we can say is to water life down to an inconvenient delay. Under a train? How crap, How sanitised, how avoidant - I inwardly raged at the apologetic voice and its happy sounding stanza as if it was announcing a departure from Heathrow airport - with no pitty - no life - yes a departure - but a failure of humanity - a computer apologising for a life snuffed out by pain and the lack of a place in the world. No human grief - but a delay to peoples time. Well I stopped and prayed for that soul, and hoped that something transcendent and transformative could come out of my offer of a spiritual humanising moment amongst the pretense of a real world. Today was my Matrix moment. I am still human but is anyone else? The Jubilee line was hailed as the new modern tube in its technology and style - give me real people any day - and not this strange place where humanity is nothing more than a purchaser of a transportation service run by the cyber.
