Baring Witness

Author Bryan Doerries says that veterans can benefit from ancient Greek tragedies because they speak to the timeless trauma of war. (Thatcher Cook/Flickr cc)

What this post is about is difficult to put into words. It evokes very deep thought and human emotion in me..

Since I was a kid I loved the stories of the Greek myths. I couldn't get enough of Jason and The Argonauts and The Golden Fleece. Especially within the past six or seven years I've become even more drawn to Greek Myth, and have learned more about it through my study of Tarot through the Mythic Tarot Deck which relates stories about archetypal warriors.

I understand now the reason for my attraction to Greek tragedy and Myth is directly related to my love of  story telling, my interest philosophy, and in the human condition.

 I had never imagined until today, the implications and connection I would make with this, the story of war, and baring witness to suffering, exactly what Byran Doerries  talked about this morning on CBC Radio, The Current. His theatre project entitled, Theater of War clarified this for me, and I am once again so amazed and taken aback with the power of art and creativity to bare witness, to heal and to foster the community of human kind.