c. 1998 Religion News Service

(Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and a sociologist at the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center. Check out his home page at http://www.agreeley.com or contact him via e-mail at agreel(at)aol.com.)

UNDATED _ God, they say, draws straight with crooked lines.

Out of the twists and turns, the malice and stupidity, the ignorance and butchery pervading the human condition God (sometimes) constructs goodness.

Thus, out of the terrible evil of World War II, God has managed to preside over the creation of a united Europe, among whose member states war is most unlikely for the first time in at least a millennium and a half.

In Ireland, the lines with which God draws straight are extremely crooked.

They are also dense with irony. Thus, the death of three boys during the Orangeman riots in July persuaded the leaders of the Orange Order to back off from confrontation. And the deaths of 28 people _ mostly women and children _ in the recent bombing in Omagh have apparently caused the fringe IRA groups to abandon their last-ditch campaign of violence.

In both cases, the deaths were not intended. The young men who threw the fire bombs into the house did not intend to kill anyone, let alone three children. The IRA fringe group responsible for the bombing in Omagh bungled their warning.

However, neither set of criminals is excused from their deeds. If you throw fire bombs or blow up automobiles, you are responsible for any unforeseen consequences of your actions. But in both cases the murders were not premeditated, though it was murder just the same.

Thus out of unintentional murder comes an increased probability of peace. How can this be? How does God twist the lines straight?

This summer’s killing of 31 innocent men, women, and children would not have had such an impact only a year ago. Rather, they would have led simply to more cycles of retaliation and revenge. Now we fine both the IRA and the Unionist leadership denouncing the violence. What has happened?

I’m not sure American television will show much of President Clinton’s visit to Ireland this week. The line of the liberal establishment media is that he is a gravely weakened president. (He is because the media say he is, even though his public approval rating is 65 percent.) Don’t let Americans see him treated as a folk hero, much less explain why the Irish think he is one. If you do that, maybe it will look like Clinton has been a good president.

Many of us watched a few clips on television this week of the crowds in Belfast, Omagh and Dublin cheering wildly for President Clinton during his visit. If one understands why that is happening, one also will understand why insane violence in Northern Ireland now enhances the cause of peace.

For the first time in 700 years or so, the people in Northern Ireland have smelled the scent of possible peace _ and they like the aroma. Last spring, they decided by seven out of 10 votes to buy into the peace process. It has become precious to them and they do not want to lose it. Leaders on both sides sense this sea change and, however clumsily, are working hard to maintain the fragile peace.

Every time someone does something violent and brutal, the public raises an outcry against them: Don’t take away our peace! The leaders quickly join in. The Good Friday agreement has tilted the playing field in the direction of peace.

While due credit must be given to the local leadership _ Ulster Unionist Party head David Trimble, IRA political leader Gerry Adams, and especially Irish nationalist leader John Hume _ the major players, the men who should win the Nobel Peace Prize, are British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bill Clinton. Not many Americans know, for example, that Clinton spent time on the phone with Trimble on Holy Thursday in a final effort to persuade him to take the risk of signing the agreement.

Without Clinton, no peace. Everyone in Ireland knows that. Few in America know it because our media has not seen fit to tell us.

One does not try to plumb the mind of God. One does little more than attempt to grasp the outline of his scenarios. God waited a long time to bring peace to Northern Ireland, perhaps as long as it took for the people to be ready to accept it. Now there is a strong, strong hope for peace.

Bill Clinton was part of God’s scheme _ even if some in the American media and Congress do not like it.

IR END GREELEY