Who is your enemy?

In Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech in1858, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he stated he believed the government could not endure permanently half slave and half free. 

Humans have battled the concept of division for many years and although slavery has been abolished, it still lives in our hearts and minds. Yet in free world countries, it is not physical chains that bind us, rather it is the thoughts and actions that we allow to beat our dreams into submission. While we love the concept of progress or a better life, there is a part of us that would rather allow us to slide into mediocrity, pain, poverty or depression than make the changes that we need to realise the manifestation of our dreams.

I see it in myself regularly. A very simple example… I know that falling asleep on the couch while watching TV will lead to chronic neck pain the next day. But does that motivate me to get up and go to bed when I feel tired? It does not, even though I know the outcome. I think of my grandmother, whose regular comment was “I am not sleeping, I am just resting my eyes.” It is laughable and yet, I feed myself the same lies. However, when I am deliberate and I tell myself, “Tonight I am going to get a good rest and get up and go to bed” … that is when I wake up feeling well rested. 

By not taking the actions that I need to take, I create division in myself. Division is something that is a common theme in my books. When I was doing research for my Christian medieval fantasy series, I looked for medieval rulers who had felt the brunt of division. In book One, The Last of the Silver Wings, I introduced my readers to my Pope, who was attacked during a procession. I based the attack on a very real event in history.  

A band of thugs led by Paschal the Primicerius, the nephew of Pope Leo III’s predecessor, Pope Adrian attacked the Pope during the procession of the Greater Litanies in AD 799. The purpose of the attack was to cut out his tongue and eyes, rendering him unfit for the papacy. The reason behind this attack was based on the belief that only nobility was fit to lead the church. In fact, Paschal the Primicerius believed that he would become the next Holy Father. Pope Leo III was the son of a non-noble and his rise to leadership was an assault on the Romans’ beliefs about the rights of leadership. After being rescued by his supporters, it was Charlemagne who protected the Pope, ensuring his safe return to Rome to be reinstated as Pope.

In my life, I have a few supporters who will defend me against my enemies. While I have no attackers who wish to gauge out my eyes… I have inner thoughts that rage against my heart and mind, stopping me from taking action where I need to and thereby silencing my voice. Some writers may recognise this as writer’s block and some people may see the fruits of the seeds of doubt in other areas of their lives. 

If you find the enemy lies inside you, then I encourage you to find your champions, who, like Charlemagne, will reinstate your purpose and defend you from your inner enemy.

May you find courage and hope.