As I write, the recent sunshine and level of ground moisture has meant that the grass is growing in the churchyards and fields and that, whereas in April I was worried about shortage of grass, during May we were blessed with sufficient grass for the eighty or so ewes and lambs we keep on our holding, and on land owned by friends.
People in biblical times also worried about grazing and, although they didn’t know as much about stock as farmers do today, they did spent a lot of time with their animals and understood things about animal behaviour unknown to most people today. They understood that, if sheep could organise themselves into an ovine society, its rules would be based on safety, food and shelter.
Human society shows similarity with sheep behaviour, but has gone beyond simple society and developed civilisations such as the European one in which we live based, as it is, on Greco/Romano/Judeo philosophy.
Our own British society is part of that civilisation, and has been formed by incorporating these philosophies plus ideas from our Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian ancestors. Each of these influences is like a strand of a rope many of which are Christian institutions, and so recent newspaper articles about Britain’s 48.500 churches of which two close every week, makes me think, especially when I also read that £200m is needed each year just to repair those that are Listed.
The rope of our civilisation has many strands but we cannot suppose that any strand can be severed without loss, this is because each strand adds something to a rope’s strength and its neglect eventually leads to the rope breaking.
The newspaper article however, suggests that the use of existing buildings could be extended whilst, at the same time, retaining their use as focal points for everything traditionally associated with our Christian Civilisation.
For example; if suitable utility services were installed the churches would be used by local people who currently visit only for Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. Where such facilities are already fitted, we read of rural churches serving as Post Offices, clubs for children and OAPs and some even hosting part time offices for rural organisations. To this end, I wonder why the Bishops don’t get us lottery money to equip our Parish churches with water and toilet facilities.
In our Benefice, the nine churches are already open for thousands of tourists who saunter around taking pictures before sitting in the reflective silence of the sanctuary. I expect that, as they sit, they think about the lives of those who built the place and wonder what the silent inhabitants of the churchyard thought. In so doing they are silently touching the rope of Civilisation and may also reflect on the condition of their personal strand.
Talking of Civilisation however, reminds me of the salutary tale of the bored young man who assumed he knew all about European Christian Civilisation and in his ignorance thought to try his luck in an Islamic one.
He was led to the Sahara and wandered in the desert heat until, sweating, and desperate from thirst, he met an Arab who could not give him water but offered to sell him a Neck Tie. This, the traveller disdainfully rejected and continued his struggle through the parched and arid wastes. Lonely and tired his condition worsened until, chancing on another traveller, he again begged for water but was offered a tie. Once more the desperate traveller sneeringly rejected the offer.
Finally, hot, exhausted and with rasping throat, he came across a posh Saharan Hotel and stumbled up the steps gasping “Water, water.” The local concierge rushed to his aid but then turned away saying, “I’m terribly sorry sir but I cannot let you in here without a tie.”
The moral of this story being:
“Ties in one civilisation can avoid thirst in another.”
View from the Pew 