Healing Fire in Londonderry by Bennhold - Essay Example

Londonderry is a region that hosts two opposing religious groups; the Catholics and the Protestants. The differences go back as far as the seventeenth century when the Catholics attempted conquering a fortified Protestant city. A grudge ensued, and it has seen the loss of life through centuries that followed. David Best took up the mission to try and unite the two parties with fire. He was ingenious to develop the idea of burning pagan temples that both sides loathe. This was the common ground he found suiting his mission.

            Photo A shows the inside of a meticulously designed temple. There are individuals who seem to be curiously studying and enjoying the temple design. Perhaps, their curiosity is motivated by the miracle of burning the same time later in an attempt to save the religious relationship amongst the inhabitants of Londonderry. Though the temple has an exotic design, it was later burned down. The temple design is a good indication of the development and growth people even those with differences can attain together once they put their differences apart. The youths the artist invited to help in erecting the temple did their job well, and the beautiful temple is a statement of that.

            In photograph B, there is now a multitude that gathered outside the burning temple that can be symbolically taken also to burn the sorrows and the ills of the past. The differences are no more. There is a vast group of individuals present to witness the burning. They seem to be relaxed, with no sign of tension from either side, and it is impossible to tell them even apart. They are just watching the temple go down in flame. This can be taken to signify the burning of their historical differences, and setting another phase where individuals co-exist in harmony. Additionally,  fire is by any means associated with evil but in the region of Londonderry, the fire has a local meaning where it represents the troubled times of rivalry where each side suffered significant losses of life. Just like Rev. David Latimer talked of a light set on a hill, the burning of the temple could not be hidden. Both the Protestants and the Catholics witnessed their differences, and their common enemy burns down. Though Rev. David Latimer initially was skeptical of the tactics David Best employed to burn a temple. He had a history of this region; a church of his had been burned down by Catholics. To him, it seemed highly unlikely that any member of the opposite side would show up to do help or even ignite the pagan church. But, in the picture, we see a huge crowd turned up to witness the burning.

            In photograph C, a man of faith sits down on a series of chairs looking rather thoughtful. It is from this context that one realizes that Rev. David Latimer was not sure whether Mr. Best’s efforts would be rewarded. In the photo, there seems no sign of troubles in the church, and the church is moderately furnished with polished wooden benches that are set for a considerably large congregation. The photograph is symbolic of peace that the region lacked for so long, and especially in churches.