The two cathedrals that tower over Armagh sit on opposite sides of the city, each one staring at the other viciously. They are opponents on the hills of Ireland—but they seem to forget that they venerate the same God.

The Ireland is a nation of conflict.  The inhabitants of the island have spent hundreds of years creating differences among themselves so that they may oblige that very human urge for chaos that dwells dangerously in the hearts of all men. Every great story, after all, is centered on conflict: conflict between two waring parties, conflict of interest, conflict within oneself, and so on and so forth down the line.  Every truly memorable tale begins with conflict and ends with a cathartic (or not) resolution.  For Ireland the conflicts have been real and the stories memorable, but their resolution leaves the speculative reader of history uneasy.  When will this island learn to deal with differences?  Simply because one man’s flag is green and another’s is orange doesn’t mean that they don’t still breath the same air, feel the same pain, pass the same people in the streets, drive on the same side of the road (unless they happen to be Americans and are still massively confused by Irish traffic laws), and maybe they even both believe in the same God but worship him differently. And while we’re on the subject, why can’t one of those men be a woman, or a person of color, or someone who loves differently than what is considered ‘normal?’

The recent legalization of gay marriage in America (proceeded, by the way, by the legalization of gay marriage in Ireland) has led many religious people to protest due to the belief that such an act is “living in sin.”  I have been tempted on more than one occasion to point out that, though they may be studiously reading their scriptures, they’ve missed the most important part.

“GOD IS LOVE.” 1 John 4:8

It’s really as simple as that.  When the two great cathedrals’ bells ring, as they do every 15 minutes in Armagh, they ring in unison. Never mind that the churches share the same name, the same patron saint, and the same city—isn’t the magical sound, that song of hope and joy, enough to convince anyone that the differences don’t matter? If God is Love, then so is every man, woman, and child that walks upon the earth.  You don’t have to be religious to agree, either. Human beings, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation share 99.9% of their DNA in common. (It is also believed that humans share almost 50% of the DNA with bananas, if you were curious).

So when, I wonder, will people realize that there is no difference that should be great enough to drive us apart, and what little differences we do have, the very characteristics that make us uniquely human, ought to be the sources that bring us together?