To blog or not to blog?
That is the question … or at least a question. Probably a more important question relates to the sense of being somehow uncomfortably stuck in a kind of cultural ‘Easter Saturday’ experience, with no obvious or apparent end in sight. No doubt, for me, that feeling has been exacerbated by (for these current times) a relevantly minor (as in, non-Covid related) health issue; necessitating a trip to the eye hospital last week, and blurry eyes as I recover this week. I am very grateful for the very nice people at the eye hospital and for the M1 bus driver who enabled me to get there and back. For that matter, I am grateful for a whole variety of workers and volunteers, from a whole variety of sectors, all skilled but many poorly paid, who have helped the nation through the current manifestation of this ongoing economic crisis. Delivery drivers, security guards, shop workers (to name just a few). I am grateful for my wife (far less cynical than me) and the committed and passionate teachers at Holymead School who have put in countless hours of their time (sometimes it seems pretty much round the clock). Much of it made necessary, in my view, by poor Government planning. I am cautious of treading further on this territory and greatly admire the courage of people like Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian who are still committed to calling out systemic injustices in our society. I will let his latest article speak for itself: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/22/nhs-surcharge-debacle-government-cruel-useless-coronavirus-boris-johnson I have had mixed feelings about ‘The Thursday Clap’, which I understand may be ‘paused’ for a while - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52773032 - and am far more interested in which way people have voted these last 10 years or so and why. Hey, I might even give myself a clap for keeping my own mental health together!! Here is the issue at heart, in my view. People are fundamentally interdependent, not independent. And all of our economic systems, locally, nationally and globally, should reflect that in a just and equitable way. Although taken out of context, for the sake of brevity, here are some words from the Bible which we would do well to consider at this time: 2 Corinthians 8:13-14 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality. Here is a link to 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8 if you want to read further: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+8&version=NIVUK Sometime ago now, I read a book called The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone (2010, Penguin, Wilkinson and Pickett). I was struck by one of the central observations: that the sense of unease in a society often equates directly with the levels of inequality, even in relatively wealthy societies. Why not check it out? https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/the-spirit-level https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/179/179241/the-spirit-level/9780241954294.html AND LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, congratulations to Elevation Church for producing what must surely be the most dramatic Christian song since Noel Richards’ fabulous Thunder in the Skies. RATTLE! is an absolutely stunning song. Do have a listen (and check out Ezekiel 37 for the full story): https://youtu.be/xrAdbH28gIg I have not been so excited about listening to a new Christian album as Elevation Worship’s ‘Graves into Gardens’ since ‘Save us O God’ (Vineyard) or Cutting Edge (back in ancient history)!!
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I began writing this late on a Friday evening, here at The Cairn, after an incredibly warm and beautiful day, sitting in the back garden and enjoying all the local sights and sounds (with the help, I might add, of a particularly fine Lockdown discovery, Keller Pils, courtesy of South Bristol brewery Lost and Grounded). Long, sunny days has brought forth gardening from me, and a sudden yet irresistible impulse to clear the hedges at the boundary of our property. For many years, the ‘overgrown’ area has served us well as a place for nature to thrive, as well as the focus of quite a few Man Friday and Man Alive activities. Particularly memorable was the Sunday Funday about three years ago, when Tim from the Lee Abbey Community turned up with his chainsaw to chop down the intrusive fir tree in the front garden; and around 30 people came along to help shift it, piece by piece, into the back garden, where the barbecue area still has log stools in its memory. The enthusiastic Noise team’s support, the year after that, was another high point. As was the Man Alive scarecrow, terrifyingly presented at the sitting room window, far too late one summer’s night. Then there were the incredible poppies, the year after we moved in. Enormous heads and so numerous. I recall carving a trail through them and being completely awestruck. A timely recollection on VE Day. And also the butterflies and moths, and caterpillars, and the birds. And the sallow tree (I think) in the garden. As a small child, I used to chase butterflies and moths, with a large net, at great personal risk; and encourage caterpillars to roam freely around the house – a hobby that came to an end, partly through the trials of youth, and partly through the complete disintegration of my butterfly and moth collection (all bar the small pins). So, strangely, having my very own nettle patch has been strangely restorative to me. And I am pleased to report the success (to at least some degree) of cinnabar, tortoiseshell, peacock, comma, red admiral, painted lady, speckled wood, brimstone, common blue and small skipper. But another part of our journey has been to do with seeing a building that, for a while at least, had a negative and challenging recent history, transformed again into a place of warmth, welcome and hospitality. Part of that process has involved making bold steps and deliberate physical changes that represent a departure from a fortress mentality and an embracing of a more open and trusting physical environment. Clearing the hedges at the edge of the garden, which had grown to around 20 foot high and 10 foot deep in places, and revealing for the first time an impressive 8 foot boundary fence that is still largely intact, has felt strangely liberating. It is all now so much lighter and more open; and we can see, and be seen by, our neighbours in a way that feels very similar to when we first arrived here and began to make changes in 2013. We were also interested in a recent, well written, Bristol Post article, entitled ‘The nine oldest buildings in Bristol that date from before 1500’, which described The Cairn (by its former name, Holy Cross Vicarage) in this way: 'The first of the buildings on the list not to be a church or part of a religious complex - although it was a vicarage - and it's not to be found in the old city or leafy Westbury or Clifton, but in one of the areas of Bristol that is the most deprived - Inns Court.' 'The estate fills the corner of land between Knowle West, Imperial Park and the ring road, but in the centre is an old vicarage whose central core staircase dates from the first decades of the 1400s. It is believed to be the oldest residential building in Bristol'. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/nine-oldest-buildings-bristol-date-4074105 We are intrigued and amused, I think, rather than concerned, about being described as: ‘not … a church or part of a religious complex’, albeit that we are technically both of those things!! And, if our medieval tower does indeed represent ‘the oldest residential building in Bristol’, that is some privilege, and one that we do not hold lightly. We are drawn, once again, to these words (from Isaiah 58:11-12): The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. |
AuthorPhil Lawrence Archives
December 2020
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