Thought for the Day 26th September 2009

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?

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