Thought for the Day
Saturday 26th September
Rob Marshall
Good Morning
I’ve been looking up everything I can find about what one expert has described as the “fantastically important discovery” of more than 1500 gold and silver items in a Staffordshire field. The haul is staggering: war booty stripped from aristocratic warriors which, according to another expert, will “transform our understanding of anglo-saxon history”
Over the past few years I have become uncharacteristically interested in the anglo saxon period, principally because of how Christianity then emerged out of a very pagan culture. I’ve been many times to Iona, to Whithorn as well as visiting sites in Northumberland, North Yorkshire and Bradwell in Essex – trying to unravel the nuances of what is sometimes called the celtic church within the anglo saxon context.
As for this week’s treasures - there is still a long way to go – a lot of archaeological patience will be required as the new discoveries are analysed.
But we already know enough about this period to couch our expectation in a basic acceptance that the anglo-saxon context throws up a lot of clues about how we came to be the people that we are today.
The Venerable Bede, whose remains are preserved in the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral, paints a rich picture of the anglo saxon era. Peter Hunter Blair’s book – The World of Bede highlights the relevance and pertinence of many of Bede’s observations, using history to understand human origins and behaviour.
Bede describes Britain as a place of great beauty with plenty of natural resources which we should use for the benefit of all; he sees the population consisting of many different tribes and clans, certainly not always of one mind – frequently at war – but respectful of strong authority and impatient of diplomatic weakness.
And he constantly charts the challenge of the new religion of Christianity, in a distinctly pagan context. The arrival of St Augustine, coupled with the influence of Columba from Iona meant that the church took root and became an instrinsic part of the rich tapestry which was anglo saxon Britain.
Contemporary debates continue about different faiths living side by side, about pluralism and cultural diversity. People are constantly searching for meaning and purpose.
And it is fascinating to behold these anglo saxon artefacts representing a previous civilisation in our own land, and where similar debates, differences and struggles still face us in our own time and context.
The question is, what lessons can we learn from the era of these anglo saxon treasures - - - - - about then and about now?
copywrite bbc
Saturday 26 September 2009
Monday 21 September 2009
Thought for the Day Sept 19th BBC Radio 4
There’s been the usual, predictable response from cynics and critics as to why the bones of a 24 year old nun from the 19th century could possibly inspire the people of Britain in 2009. The relics of St Therese of Lisieux have arrived safely in the UK this week.
An atheist friend of mine saw the bones arriving in Portsmouth and asked me outright: “what would you do if you go and visit the relics of St Therese when she comes to Notting Hill, next month?” Well first, I told her, I’ve already visited them three times in Lisieux, so one of the main reasons for going would be the sheer curiosity of seeing the relics in a completely different context.
But of course the question concerned the whole point of relics and what they are about. Relics, basically, have played a significant part in the emergence of the church since its very beginning. They are the material remains– or any other object known to have been in direct contact - with someone designated as a saint by the church.
Scholars point out that in the second chapter of 2 Kings where Elijah’s mantle and Elisha’s bones were a source of encouragement to future believers – we see a perfectly understandable human reaction to the death of people who were respected and revered.
Mind you, the eighth century Council of Nicea directed that no church should be consecrated without a relic. I can still see Brian Sewell memorably travelling across France on his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella explaining that communities thrived from the Middle Ages only if their cathedral or church had a relic: if they didn’t the town was a shadow of what it might have been if only for the bone of a saint!
Christian denominations don’t necessarily agree on the importance and status of relics. Though, going to visit a grave – knowing who rather than what lies below – is perfectly acceptable, indeed a respectable thing to do. And for some people relics are simply the next step – another way of celebrating and following the example of those who’ve gone before.
All those designated as saints by the church have demonstrated a miracle of faith as a foundation of their sainthood. That’s why the monks of Lindisfarne kept moving the body of St Cuthbert around when the Vikings arrived: he was a symbol of triumph over adversity – of faith – and hope in the future – those very bones represented liberty and freedom because of shocking suffering, violence and pillage in their own day.
Grisly human remains - relics might be on the one hand: but on the other, they can be mysteriously encouraging and, over centuries, profoundly significant to both communities and individuals.
Copyright BBC
An atheist friend of mine saw the bones arriving in Portsmouth and asked me outright: “what would you do if you go and visit the relics of St Therese when she comes to Notting Hill, next month?” Well first, I told her, I’ve already visited them three times in Lisieux, so one of the main reasons for going would be the sheer curiosity of seeing the relics in a completely different context.
But of course the question concerned the whole point of relics and what they are about. Relics, basically, have played a significant part in the emergence of the church since its very beginning. They are the material remains– or any other object known to have been in direct contact - with someone designated as a saint by the church.
Scholars point out that in the second chapter of 2 Kings where Elijah’s mantle and Elisha’s bones were a source of encouragement to future believers – we see a perfectly understandable human reaction to the death of people who were respected and revered.
Mind you, the eighth century Council of Nicea directed that no church should be consecrated without a relic. I can still see Brian Sewell memorably travelling across France on his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella explaining that communities thrived from the Middle Ages only if their cathedral or church had a relic: if they didn’t the town was a shadow of what it might have been if only for the bone of a saint!
Christian denominations don’t necessarily agree on the importance and status of relics. Though, going to visit a grave – knowing who rather than what lies below – is perfectly acceptable, indeed a respectable thing to do. And for some people relics are simply the next step – another way of celebrating and following the example of those who’ve gone before.
All those designated as saints by the church have demonstrated a miracle of faith as a foundation of their sainthood. That’s why the monks of Lindisfarne kept moving the body of St Cuthbert around when the Vikings arrived: he was a symbol of triumph over adversity – of faith – and hope in the future – those very bones represented liberty and freedom because of shocking suffering, violence and pillage in their own day.
Grisly human remains - relics might be on the one hand: but on the other, they can be mysteriously encouraging and, over centuries, profoundly significant to both communities and individuals.
Copyright BBC
Monday 14 September 2009
San Francisco
San Francisco
Obama has had a bad summer. That was the unanimous feeling of democrats and republicans alike during my visit to California last week. This was not my first visit to San Francisco but it was, by far, my most memorable. The effects of the recession were everywhere – from the sales in the stores to the news stories about poverty and 10% rates of unemployment.
But it was to the south of Market Street, the “other side” of the famous tram F Line between the Wharfe and Castro, where the extent of human suffering, depravation, damage and poverty was not only shocking – it was unforgettable.
These mainly black American people seem to have no hope. Seized by the combined effects of poverty, alcohol and/or drugs ( I really wasn’t sure which) the extent of the begging and the visible signs of ill health in shop doorways, street corners and alleyways as a whole sea of human beings suffered, was in stark contrast to the hope and optimism of the America which Obama represents.
Hope? Where is it? Light? In this kind of darkness!? Optimism? Healthcare for all?
Missing limbs, lack of shoes, obvious medical conditions ranging from critical to superficial were on display everywhere. Several young looking human souls simply laid out flat on the concrete sidewalk – totally ignored by the coffee hugging, distracted, slightly restless, better off – rushing by on the other side.
The City remains enchanting if dirty. There is a sense of history and tradition which might, one day, return. There is hope. But the Golden Gate Bridge is hardly a symbol of opulence at the present time: rather a sign of hope that the future might bring less suffering and more confidence to this wonderful, fresh region.
Obama has had a bad summer. That was the unanimous feeling of democrats and republicans alike during my visit to California last week. This was not my first visit to San Francisco but it was, by far, my most memorable. The effects of the recession were everywhere – from the sales in the stores to the news stories about poverty and 10% rates of unemployment.
But it was to the south of Market Street, the “other side” of the famous tram F Line between the Wharfe and Castro, where the extent of human suffering, depravation, damage and poverty was not only shocking – it was unforgettable.
These mainly black American people seem to have no hope. Seized by the combined effects of poverty, alcohol and/or drugs ( I really wasn’t sure which) the extent of the begging and the visible signs of ill health in shop doorways, street corners and alleyways as a whole sea of human beings suffered, was in stark contrast to the hope and optimism of the America which Obama represents.
Hope? Where is it? Light? In this kind of darkness!? Optimism? Healthcare for all?
Missing limbs, lack of shoes, obvious medical conditions ranging from critical to superficial were on display everywhere. Several young looking human souls simply laid out flat on the concrete sidewalk – totally ignored by the coffee hugging, distracted, slightly restless, better off – rushing by on the other side.
The City remains enchanting if dirty. There is a sense of history and tradition which might, one day, return. There is hope. But the Golden Gate Bridge is hardly a symbol of opulence at the present time: rather a sign of hope that the future might bring less suffering and more confidence to this wonderful, fresh region.
Faith and its Critics - Book Review
There is something reassuring in the intellectual rigour of David Fergusson’s faith in his just published new book Faith and its Critics (Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0-19-956938). Based on the 2008 Gifford Lectures delivered at the University of Glasgow, this slim, readable, volume faces Christianity’s critics head on. Intriguingly, Fergusson suggests that a lot of modern atheism is an English language movement conducted through blogs and websites. And the fact that he estimates that there may be around 500 million atheists in the world – making them the fourth largest “religion” – underlines that we cannot take their arguments and theories of faith and religion at all lightly. But this book is full of confidence. It asserts the particular and unique dimensions of faith and urges Christians to fight their corner with positive arguments. The latter part of the book, focussing on the importance of sacred texts in religion, interested me most. Reminding the reader that most religious texts are “embedded in the cultural circumstances and assumptions of historical periods very different to our own” Fergusson focuses rather on interpretation as the key – “the task of interpreting sacred texts is therefore an unavoidable responsibility of the faith communities.” A fascinating book for students, clergy and laity.
Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall
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