The innocence of birdsong

The following is an excerpt from Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. Jack Firebrace is a soldier in the trenches of World War I, and in the following passage he reflects on his son and the nature of his innocence.

‘His thoughts turned towards home. Eight and a half years earlier when his wife had given birth to a son, Jack’s life had changed. As the child grew, Jack noticed in him some quality he valued and which surprised him. The child was not worn down. In his innocence there was a kind of hope. Margaret laughed when Jack point this out to her. “He’s only two years old”, she said. “Of course he’s innocent.”

This is not what Jack had meant but he could not put into words the effect that watching John had on him. He saw him as a creature who had come from another universe: but in Jack’s eyes the place from which the boy had come was not just a different but a better world. His innocence was not the same thing as ignorance; it was a powerful quality of goodness that was available to all people: it was perhaps what the Prayer Book called a means of grace, or a hope of glory.’

Birdsong is a compelling and beautifully written book (although I must warn you that it contains some very strong sex scenes), but the thoughts of this character really made me think about what it means to be innocent and seen through the eyes of faith it offers a real hope to those weighed down by the world and their own sinfulness. People talk about losing their innocence, usually in reference to the carnal temptations of a secular society. But I think if somebody can lose their innocence then they can regain it as well. Like Jack says, ‘it was a powerful quality of goodness that was available to all people’. I think this gives hope to people who feel that they have lost their innocence through their mistakes and misadventures in life, often in the area of sexuality. Their soul can be reborn, in a sense, and regain that ‘powerful quality of goodness’. It is also something that is reflected in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The Father not only forgives his son but he clothes him in his best robe, gives him new sandals and puts a ring on his finger. The memory of our misdeeds might remain, and still cause occasional pain, but there is no black mark on our soul that cannot be washed away by God’s mercy and grace. This is a very reassuring thought.