4 July 2025

One of the most graphic accounts of contemporary imprisonment must surely be Brian Keenan’s ‘An Evil Cradling’. Reflecting on his imprisonment in the Lebanon, Keenan has many insights to offer on the complex relationship between captive and captor.

One thing which impressed me was his determination to maintain his own inner freedom and never to become enslaved despite his imprisonment. On one occasion when  he was sharing a cell with John McCarthy, they were given new clothes.

Brian thought that this was a bad sign. Not only did it lend credence to the possibility of a more permanent incarceration, it also had the potential to dehumanise them by replacing their own clothes with the clothes of their captors. He refused to co-operate. On the other hand, John didn’t see it as a problem and wore them.  

Although their whole lives were lived together in the intimacy of this cell, they were free to make their own decisions and free to accept differing principles. But, there’s a wonderful twist in the tale.

Whilst he didn’t agree with Brian’s decision, John McCarthy realised that his friend’s defiance would lead him into trouble. Unbeknown to Keenan, he told the guard that if Keenan were beaten, he wouldn’t wear the new clothes either!

This is the freedom of love – the freedom to be ourselves, the freedom to allow other people to be themselves and the freedom to sacrifice our freedom in order to let others go free! It’s the power of  this love which breaks down the prison walls and enables other people to enjoy their liberty.

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