Travels with a Donkey, Florac, Page 79-80

After I had eaten, the landlord of the inn took me to an adjoining cafe, where my journey was the topic of discussion. Everyone wanted to give me suggestions on routes to take, over coffee and alcohol. These helpful people were mostly Protestant, I could see that Protestants and Catholics conversed but they still had lively memories of the religious war. They recalled the different events that had taken place with great detail even though they were not present. They expressed their satisfaction with their ancestors and their bravery, their descendents were not direct but they were still able to recollect certain details of the war for me. Other places I had visited where not like this, many didn't talk about the war, but the Cevenols took great pride in telling their stories and illustrating what heroes their ancestors were.

Later on in the day a kind Protestant pastor paid me a visit, I spent an hour or two with him talking, again, about Florac and the religious conflicts. Florac is both Protestant and Catholic, with a large difference in political views, however I was surprised to discover the quiet nature they lived in. The population lived together in perfect harmony, which to me is incredible based on the effect the war had on their memories and their personal views. I realised that no matter what Protestant is still Protestant and Catholic is still Catholic. We take a bias view in life, believing that our ancestors were doing the right thing, we aren't open minded to the situation. This religious war deserves an open minded view, one which looks at both sides of the argument instead of siding with a particular religion. I am civil with both Protestants and Catholics, the monks especially who welcomed me in. I am Protestant and I do speak their language,however I am able to live amongst Catholics, which shows how far we've come as people from the war.
If you are able to find people you can talk with freely, it is a great gift that shouldn't produce any conflicts with religion or God.