Yesterday's funeral was a beautiful, intimate service, full of love. And no crowds turned up: the bush telegraph had done its work. There were tears, there was laughter, there were prayers, there was Shirley Bassey! Afterwards, George's widow said: 'It's just what he would have wanted. He didn't like fuss. He would just have wanted his family.' How ironic.
Otherwise, it was a day to Skype and Zoom. I had an hour on Skype with a friend, who is 'on mission' in Peru. Anna lives in Lima, where there is a far more serious lock-down, including an 8pm to 5am total curfew and complete closure of borders. I pray for her in her solitude: her English flatmate is stranded abroad; and of course her church can't meet. For an extrovert like Anna, this is tough.
Then Les and I 'Zoom'd' with family, on our Pete's birthday. Fascinating to see all the family in one go on a screen. A moment to treasure, and yet another gift of today's technology. Afterwards, a Zoom staff meeting with Adrian and Deborah. During Evening Prayer, we realised one disadvantage of Zoom: it's difficult to say (for example) the Lord's Prayer together as the system only allows for one person to speak at a time. At least it encourages the discipline of listening during a meeting!
During Lent (easy to forget about this season!), I decided to follow some material from the Church Mission Society, 'Lament for Lent'. It turns out to have been just the right choice, in the circumstances. The theologian Walter Brueggemann reckons lament is largely absent from our way of thinking in our Western culture, because we are reluctant to face suffering or to embrace negativity. This is at complete variance with the majority of the world where suffering - terrible suffering - is an everyday experience, be it war, famine, extreme poverty, natural disasters unjust regimes and so on. So we in the West have much to learn from the experience of others: think for example of the songs of protest of African-American slaves, or people like Mother Teresa, or Nelson Mandela or Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the apartheid era.
Far from saying 'There can't be a God, to allow this', God is addressed directly: 'Why God, why?' And in the indignation, even the anger, that goes with it, one finds oneself on God's side, doing something about it. As someone has written, 'To lament is to recognise something isn't right and to refuse to be okay with it.' Interestingly, it is reckoned that 40% of the Psalms in the Bible are actually protest songs or laments, directly confronting God, calling upon God to act.
So we shouldn't be taking this Cv business lying down! This is not a holiday! This is a time to rise up and address the problem, as part of the warfare against all that is evil in God's beautiful world. The trouble is, as a culture, we have been spoiled. We expect everything to be ok, we expect to be healthy and strong, and if something goes wrong, we expect 'someone' to sort it, so we can 'move on'. It's the attitude that lies behind President Trump's ridiculous 'All over by Easter' promise!
There are many expressions of goodness and warm humanity at this time: witness the tens of thousands who have responded to the call for volunteers nationally, to help with the work of caring. Can we learn to see that every act of kindness or compassion, every word of encouragement, every stand against negativity or injustice, every prayer, every Eucharist, - all these things and more - are actually ways in which we are protesting against what is wrong in our world? It is 'recognising that something isn't right and refusing to be okay with it.' In short, we all have to take some responsibility for this Cv crisis and each in our own way, protest against it. We don't have to be a Government minister, a doctor or nurse, to play our part.
Right - time to prepare a talk to record for Sunday. Then some 'gardening' - otherwise known as 'mowing the lawn'. This is the limit of my horticultural effort, I'm afraid. But, to all you keen gardeners, with plenty of time for your passion: God bless the land, and make it fruitful.
Here's a brand new hymn, written for this time. It goes to a number of different tunes, which unless you're a hymn expert like Les (my wife) you probably won't know. Bizarrely, perhaps, it goes to 'O Little Town of Bethlehem.' Try it. Sing it loud! (Les has pointed out that this tune is a bit jaunty for the seriousness of the content, so Sing it Loud - but Sing it Slow.)
This sudden Sabbath gives us pause
to rest and to reflect.
What is the focus of our lives
and what is its effect?
We live within a common world,
whatever race or creed;
for things maintaining life and health,
we share a common need.
to rest and to reflect.
What is the focus of our lives
and what is its effect?
We live within a common world,
whatever race or creed;
for things maintaining life and health,
we share a common need.
For some a love of God becomes the
centre of their prayer,
but such a love’s a hollow boast
when neighbours have no care.
The early Christians took the lead
of Jesus as their style,
to hold in common all they had,
to go the second mile.
centre of their prayer,
but such a love’s a hollow boast
when neighbours have no care.
The early Christians took the lead
of Jesus as their style,
to hold in common all they had,
to go the second mile.
When people safe-guard all they have,
while others queue in fear,
when those who have are given more,
while hunger’s drawing near;
where is our faith, our common love,
as cries become more stark,
when poverty crowds round our door,
the future clouded, dark?
while others queue in fear,
when those who have are given more,
while hunger’s drawing near;
where is our faith, our common love,
as cries become more stark,
when poverty crowds round our door,
the future clouded, dark?
Now is the moment for us all
to live what we confess,
to live within community
the faith that we profess.
Then let us stand as one with all
we share a common birth,
that on until eternity
love holds each life on earth.
to live what we confess,
to live within community
the faith that we profess.
Then let us stand as one with all
we share a common birth,
that on until eternity
love holds each life on earth.
Andrew Pratt 18/3/2020 – In response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thank you, Godfrey. These are very thoughtful posts. I like Brueggeman. I think I wrote something on lament for my local preachers course. I’ll have to root it out.
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