Last month this column suggested that every large organisation would benefit from noting the behaviour of bees. Every colony comes to the point at which the Queen Bee is surrounded by so many of her acolytes that she is not seen by most of her workers. As contact is lost, they create another queen and the colony fragments. This is a natural process and is repeated wherever there is s social structure in the animal and insect kingdoms. I suppose it could be seen as a key aspect of the way by which all forms of life are spread.
Readers will also see the same overall pattern in human behaviour at family, parish, national and international level. No type of organisational grouping is exempt from natural change. This is a principle of life and no amount of chattering at committee meetings will alter this principle. Even outright opposition by national governments or political parties will not change this ineluctable aspect of nature. Nor will the utopian visions of religious or humanist priests. Although some ideas hang around a while none can change the circular law whereby life exists for a while before giving way to the new life it leaves behind.
Because social organisations and buildings usually last longer than a single human life, this may encourage some folk to give their lives to an organisation. They may even believe that such devotion will give them the kind of immortality given to cricketers as can be seen on the walls of the long room at Lords Cricket Ground.
However, the core New Testament message is not aimed at social organisations. Its message, like that of most hymns, is aimed at encouraging an individual to develop a personal life of hope and faith. Consequently, its message is not like an edict from the HQ of a government office, nor does it say, ‘trust our systems to care for your every need from birth to death’. In fact, the original Christian message does not offer salvation to corporations, charities, churches, political parties, or states. Instead, it fully targets the salvation of every single human soul.
Of course, humans create social linkages, but essentially everyone’s life is their own to develop. I used to hear preachers say that at birth every human life contains part of the divine nature of its creator, (often called the soul) and from this it follows that we have an opportunity to develop that divine presence to our own immortal benefit. My great uncle George used to add that, “We also benefit when we help others to similarly grow”.
An example of the centrality of this individual focus is also seen in hymns such as ‘Abide with Me’ by Rev, Henry Francis Lyte. (1793 – 1847) He was the Anglican hymnodist, and poet who penned the words, “Change and decay in all around I see”, and, “O thou who changest not, Abide with me.”
But talking of hymns. One of the activities I missed most during the lockdowns was singing. Except for the time when my voice ‘broke’ and took several years to ‘settle,’ I have given voice to all kinds of music. So, I am really looking forward to choir starting again in September.’ Not singing for over a year has changed the shape of my embouchure and this necessitated a trip to the dentist for an adjustment to an upper plate.
Dentistry has changed a lot since my first visit to Mr Barnes of Stanton Hill. His drill was driven by a foot operated treadle connected by string to a pulley. This changed the up and down motion of his leg into the circular motion of the drill bit. My first filling was at age seven and I had to walk the six miles round trip to his surgery alone. Mum was at work in the factory whilst Dad was slowly fighting his way up from the south to the north of Italy.
My earlier mention of the Long Room at Lords cricket ground reminded me of a letter in the Spectator from Sir Tim Rice; he of the ‘Joseph and his Technicolour Dream Coat’.
He recounts how in 1751 Frederick Louis; Prince of Wales was prevented from succeeding his father George as King due to a fatal accident at a cricket match. Sir Tim asks if this was the first known instance in cricketing history when ….
‘Play stopped Reign’
View from the Pew 