Thought for the Day, 10 April 2007

Jonathan Bartley

Good morning.

The Ministry of Defence has reversed its decision to allow the 15 British sailors and marines, freed by Iran, to sell their stories to the highest bidder.

The content of a story, the way we tell it, and indeed why we tell it, reveals a lot about our values. And stories are told by cultures and communities as well as individuals. The theologian Walter Wink has identified a particularly dominant narrative found around the world. It goes something like this: goodies are oppressed by baddies. Along comes the hero, and through threat or force, liberates the innocent and overcomes the evil doer.

This storyline dominates most fairytales and Hollywood blockbusters.

But it also underlies much foreign policy. And when the script isn't followed, political leaders can get a touch of stage fright, unsure about how to play their part in the unfolding drama.

This is what we have seen in the last week with regard to Iran.

From the perspective of our own government, baddies were certainly oppressing goodies. But the would-be heroes were unable to force their liberation - despite a bit of sabre rattling. It was what seemed to be an act of grace from the baddies that brought the unexpected twist in the tale.

'Exceptional circumstances' were cited by the MoD in justifying their decision to allow the individual stories to be sold, rather than simply told. The Iranian President's act of generosity - whatever its real motivation - could be classed as out of the ordinary. After all, grace is usually considered only to have a private application. It is ill-suited to the real politic of public life.

Outstanding examples of parents who have found it in their hearts to forgive their children's killers are celebrated on the front pages of newspapers. But transfer such values to the diplomatic arena, and they are soon labelled 'appeasement'.

It is true that the grace shown by the Iranian President was probably far from pure. But his Easter gift showed that even an act of generosity, made from dubious motives, can be a formidable political tool. The Hebrew scriptures suggest it can 'heap burning coals' upon an enemy's head. The restraint shown by the British, whilst others urged more threatening behaviour, could with perhaps more justification be viewed as unmerited favour.

The tales already told in the tabloids will not be the end of the story. Their accounts are an interlude in a wider drama involving disputes over Iran's nuclear plans. But as political leaders decide how to respond, they should remember the power that an act of grace can wield. It would be easy to revert to a downward spiral of reprisals, of benefit to no one - something which may sadly have already begun with the propaganda war waged through the international media.

But it may give all involved some hope to remember that in the Christian story, the hero who in the end triumphs over an axis of evil, is the one who employs grace most effectively.