OK, so I still love RATTLE! and Elevation Worship’s ‘Graves into Gardens’ but … … like busses … what an incredible joy to be able to celebrate the launch of Bright City‘s new album, Change, a week or two ago, via YouTube. There are many things I liked about this evening, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of St Peter’s Church, Brighton. For big fans (like me!!) the whole premiere presentation (about an hour and a half) is the only way to go: https://youtu.be/ubdjpb6fVIY For the half hour option (48.00 to 1.21), discover that: Jonny Bird is a captain; Sarah (my eldest) stole a book from my study; Martin Smith went on holiday with his 80 year old dad and wrote an amazing song, inspired by a visit to Mount Carmel, called ‘Fire’s Gonna Fall’ which is sung by Sarah (with Martin choosing to be part of ‘an ordinary choir’)!! Who knew?? Here is the lyric version of the song: https://youtu.be/fTfNGo1ba5I And who knew that, when in 1997, I tentatively took a lunch time detour (from my mundane job at Tollgate House, now a big car park) to HMV to buy an album called ‘King of Fools’ signed by Delirious?, ostensibly on behalf of my daughters – and feeling like a bit of a fool myself – that things would turn out like this?? And, incidentally, who knew (middle daughter) that we were heading for such a big fire a week or so ago here in the heart of Knowle West?? Let the fire fall here too!! There is a change coming in Bristol (as well as Brighton!!), a city I am particularly proud to live in this week after its exemplary handling of the iconic toppling and dunking of the statue of former slave trader, Edward Colston (since retrieved quietly for a future museum context). As one national commentator observed the following day: ‘Today is the first full day since 1895 on which the effigy of a mass murderer does not cast its shadow over Bristol’s city centre.’ That is some change. Here is the full article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/08/edward-colston-statue-history-slave-trader-bristol-protest?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other In another Guardian article, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees is reported as, rightly, praising the wise handling of the demonstration by Avon and Somerset Police: “There were 10,000 people and no violent confrontation, no big smash-up of shop windows, no lines at accident and emergency.” “What they have left us with is a platform for us to have a constructive conversation about our city’s future.” Here is the full article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/13/bristol-mayor-colston-statue-removal-was-act-of-historical-poetry?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other That conversation will, I am sure, include fresh consideration of the nuanced and complex connections between private wealth, philanthropy, and state wealth. As we look to move on from lockdown, my prayer is: ‘… let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24)’
1 Comment
Ian
20/9/2020 12:52:35
Great stuff
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