Coming soon...A Day in the Life of an Ark Volunteer

This photo is really just by way of an appetizer for a blog posting which has been pledged to us by a fellow parishioner who does a voluntary shift at the Ark in Birkenhead. If you have ever wondered about volunteering at the Ark or if you would just like to know more about the project, you'll have to keep dropping in from time to time, won't you? Alternatively, why not subscribe to the People's Blog web feed? Then we can let YOU know when we have updated content.

A Happy Ending?

I was looking at some of the old blogs and was moved by 'It Beggers Belief .' I travel to Liverpool every week and walk through the underpass between St John's Precinct and Lime Street Station. For at least two years I gave change to a chap sitting in that damp and dirty place. He was always so polite and grateful and I was very touched and saddened every time we had our almost weekly encounter. I often reflected that If I were a real Christian I should have taken him to one of the many 'eateries' in that area and bought him a hot meal ! but no, too radical for me!

Once when he gently squeezed my hand and thanked me in his gracious way he told me that his name was 'Mullah', we had a little chat and as we parted he said his usual 'look after yourself.'

Soon afterwards I saw 'Mullah' talking to two ladies and they turned out to be two long lost cousins! That was the last time I saw 'Mullah.'

Of course I prayed for him so perhaps my prayers were answered - I do hope so because if anyone deserved a helping hand it was 'Mullah,' - a real gentleman.

I know it's good to help in little ways folks like my friend but wouldn't it be wonderful if society was truly Christian and saw Jesus in a special way in the broken and downtrodden!

Anyway I'll pop back into my cave now!

Yogi

What is the Point of Being a Christian?

This is the first book by Timothy Radcliffe that I have read. I bought it at Greenbelt Festival last year on the basis of some talks he did there. My copy still bears the scars of Cheltenham Racecourse mud. I don't know much about Catholic speakers and writers, since a good deal of what I have read to date tends to be recommended by friends of the Protestant tradition. We Catholics either do not read books with religious/spiritual themes or we guard our reading habits jealously. I also think that the Protestant writers have the marketing sussed. Their books are not necessarily any more interesting, they just package them better.

Anyway, I digress. I went to see Timothy Radcliffe speak on the basis that (a) I'd heard of him (just about) and (b) he is a Catholic. I felt duty bound to drop in on a fellow Catholic. The only other alternative that I knew about was James Alison. As his talks were veering into the arena of homosexuality I thought I would give them a miss. This was not for reasons of homophobia, I hasten to add (though for one or two self-indulgent seconds I thought the world at large might get the 'wrong impression' about me!); no, my reasons were that the whole 'gay' issue can be a bit bandwagonish and so I thought that on this occasion I would give it a miss. To be fair, given another opportunity I probably would go along and listen.

Radcliffe was extremely popular. They opened up the side of the tent so that people would not be disappointed. I had to sit outside but was able to hear him clearly. I was immediately impressed by him. He is well-spoken, erudite and humourous. The realm of his experience as a widely travelled Dominican Friar and theologian lends an air of authority to what he has to say. In spite of his academic prowess, he is a great communicator and is able to convey complex ideas in simple language. His practical experience as Master of the Order means that he has seen a great deal of what life in this world has to offer to the most disadvantaged and so his message is one of hope mixed with realism. So I bought the book...

The title of the book is What is the Point of Being a Christian? In one sense, this is a personal quest but there is much in Radcliffe's search to which I felt able to respond affirmatively. He begins with what was, by his own admission, the glib response of "because it is true" but in the chapters of the book the deeply complex concept of Christian truth is unpacked. Central to the notion of Christian truth is the role of the individual within the community and the difficulties which arise within human relationships. Radcliffe tackles the fact of and theories for the polarisation between faith groups, within the wider Christian Church and indeed within the Catholic church itself. He considers the impact of the 'Now Generation' and the concept of 'Liquid Modernity' as expounded by Zygmunt Bauman. Liquid modernity is the point we have reached in post-modern culture whereby we are no longer dealing in the concrete but the abstract - we deal in a currency of signs and symbols - think of the golden arches of McDonalds, the Nike swoosh. He explores the changing role of sabbath in the 21st century.

This book is intelligently written, balanced,well researched and shows a solid grasp on the complexities of the modern world. Timothy Radcliffe OP may be an academic but dry he is not.

What is the Point of Being a Christian? ISBN 0-86012-369-3 available in Christian Bookshops or on order from any good bookshop.

Comic Relief - the serious bit

As usual there were lots of information films, sometimes harrowing, in last night's programme. Often tears are uncomfortably juxtaposed with laughter but, by and large, this tension works well. Last night there was a film which illustrated the importance of something as seemingly trivial as a mosquito net, costing £2.50. The film featured a young mother undertaking the long and difficult journey from her rural home in Tanzania to the nearest medical facility with her small child who was suffering from malaria. I expected it to follow the usual format of arrival at the hospital in the nick of time with the message "but thousands of children are not as lucky as Shayla". Wrong. I watched in disbelief as the look on the young mother's face turned from one of worry to absolute desolation. Shayla had died in her grandmother's arms. I was shocked. Later in the programme, to illustrate the fact that one child dies every 30 seconds, this clip was shown again with a countdown in the corner of the screen. I don't think for one moment that the organisers of Comic Relief are irresponsible people. I have no doubt that much soul-searching was done before the decision was finally taken to show this clip and without a doubt it will have provoked high levels of compassion among the viewing public. But in this instance, I think it was wrong. To witness at such close quarters the shocking and complete despair of a mother as the fragile threads of her child's life slip away just felt wrong and voyeuristic. It reduced the sacred stuff of human tragedy to a mere marketing ploy. Well, that's how I felt, anyway. But that is not to detract too much from the good that is done via the Comic Relief proceeds.

An appropriate way to end this posting would be to share the recent reflections of a much-loved friend of mine who is 'on the ground', as it were, in Africa:

"It can be so tiring seeing endless European projects, propped up by white people…..with the best intentions but not really doing anything to give people dignity and responsibility and creating a kind of aid dependency and expectancy. There are no easy answers but there is a lot of naivety in projects that are set up. Nakuru is full of ‘projects’ and of course people will try to benefit from anything going. So much wisdom is needed. Kenya has received so much aid and is one of the most corrupt countries. We were trying to imagine the other day what it would do to a city’s morale if foreigners kept pouring into Birkenhead to solve the problems of homelessness, drug abuse etc etc (rich Americans maybe?!). In the end you’d give up, take no responsibility and just expect handouts. So much better if local efforts were supported behind the scenes?"

Food for thought.

Comic Relief Day - the flippant bit...

I'm not a big fan of the telethon thing but if I have to engage with one then it would be Comic Relief. I can't stand that Pudsey Bear thing - not that I disagree with charity fundraisers per se (oops, Sorry about the Latin, it's a Catholic thing!) I guess it is the whole "let's take a look around the BBC regions to see what people have been up to - Over in the Midlands Quantity Surveyor Colin Wilkinson has spent the day surveying quantities whilst immersed in a bath of Heinz oxtail soup and raised £7.50 for Children in Need" And all the waving of the 'big cheques' gets up my (big, red) nose. At least Comic Relief is entertaining AND they have the good sense to only do it once every two years. There were a number of highlights in last night's show. Of course, I was eager to see who had won the Fame Academy title. It was, as (sort of) predicted here the delightful Tara Palmer-Tomkinson with her 'kinky boots' routine. In terms of voice, Tricia Penrose should have won it, without a shadow of a doubt. She did a great rendition of the immensely talented Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. (As I click, I am listening to the original) But as in all these things it is a popularity contest and Tara was the bigger personality. What really matters is that loadsa money was raised for good cause.

I latched onto Ricky Gervais' spoof appeal video instantly, having spotted the blue screen technology. Nevertheless it will remain, I suspect, one of those supremely wicked comedy moments for some years to come. True comedy pushes the boundaries and this was pure genius. Even as I was protesting at its inappropriateness I was laughing.

Peter Kaye came up with a good one - a remake of the old Proclaimers hit 500 miles. I'm not a big fan of Peter Kaye, partly because he is too popular (here I reveal one of the many complexities of my personality). There are certain people that I use as a guage in this. I like to catch on to new talent early on. As soon as I began to hear middle-class mums and 12 year-olds saying "yeah, I know" and "I'm the only gay in the village, see" I knew it was time to move on from Little Britain. Kaye has a very retro act and his humour is quite unsophisticated - he's a bit of a one trick pony really. BUT, he enlisted the help of the extremely talented Matt Lucas to add some comic credibility. And of course, cameos from everyone in comedy, current faves and has-beens alike. The inclusion of the Proclaimers themselves should give their career a boost. I saw them two years ago at Greenbelt Festival and I remember how, when this song was played, spontaneous singing and dancing seemed to break out across the whole festival site with no generational boundaries. This bodes well for sales of the Comic Relief version. This should partially make up for Amarillo which I hoped had been consigned to the 1970's archives forever but has since been adopted as an anthem by lovers of tat everywhere.

Best laugh of the night goes to Catherine Tate. Stroppy teen, Lauren, goes to 10 Downing Street on her work experience placement. When PM Tony Blair (the REAL Tony Blair) turns the tables on her and says "Am I bovvered?" I almost lost control of my bodily functions. Well in, Tone, mate, the boy done well. George Bush may have his Barneycam videos, but you were real class!

Comic Relief does Fame Academy

When Fr Simon suggested giving up TV for a day for Lent, you may have all sat and nodded approvingly but I just thought "Nah!!". I actually watch very little TV and wouldn't miss it if it weren't there. So, with a clear conscience I have been watching the recent series of Fame Academy for Comic Relief. I wonder why the likes of Shaun Williamson (formerly Barry from Eastenders) is taking part. He has a good voice and has probably done a bit of cabaret in the past. Have you seen local lad, Ray Stubbs, perform? Sports commentator Ray is, I am told, a former resident of Ridgewood Drive in Pensby. He is clearly in it for a laugh but has been fairly entertaining in the process. He always has a slightly manic and dangerous look in his eye. I would perhaps like to see 'It girl' (no, it's nothing to do with computers!) Tara Palmer-Tomkinson do well. I get the impression that she has a fundamental honesty and vulnerable childlike quality. She puts me very much in mind of people like Marianne Faithful and perhaps even Edith Piaf - a chequered past but also an inner strength.

Eh?

The Exhortation on the Eucharist? Motu Proprio? What does it all mean? No, I'm not being rhetorical, what DOES it all mean?

Somethin' Wonderful

Today's photo is of last night's lunar eclipse as seen in Pensby, taken on a very ordinary compact digital camera. For once the night skies were clear enough to observe the moon turn copper as all but a smidgen of the sun's light was blocked by the Earth. It amazes me that this is not an uncommon occurrence but it is the first time that I have seen it. As a family we spent a good ten minutes standing, open mouthed in awe looking at it.

Today's gospel reading was the Luke's account of the Transfiguration. Fr Simon's homily opened up the idea of seeing the wondrous in the mundane. He illustrated this by reading a passage from An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan who was held hostage in Beirut by Hezbollah. The passage described how a humble orange transcended its mundane state and was transfigured in Keenan's eyes as a result of the deprivation he experienced in captivity. This put me in mind of a book I once read by Columbian novelist Gabriel García Márquez. One of the features of the writing of García Márquez is magical realism. Ordinary things, such as umbrellas, are described in such a way that they become extraordinary, the magical sits comfortably alongside the everyday.

This concept intrigued me when I was engaged in an important stage in my spiritual journey. It opened my eyes to the importance of giving everything appropriate attention. I suppose it could be described as the art of being 'fully present' or 'living in the moment'. It taught me to be attentive to the fragrance of lavender on a summer evening, the lush greenness of the grass after a spring shower and the song of a solitary bird at dusk.

The playwright Dennis Potter was interviewed by Melvyn Bragg when in the advanced stages of terminal cancer. It is no secret that when we accept life as finite, we see things though different eyes. Potter described this phenomenon to Bragg between pauses to take sips of liquid morphine from a hip flask. He said that outside the window of his study at his home near the Forest of Dean there was an apple tree. He went on to describe his impressions of the spring blossom on the tree as the "blossomiest blossom". This ordinary blossom had transcended its natural state. Potter probably hadn't noticed it until he realised he would never see it again. The certainty of death had enabled him to be fully present. There is wisdom in that.

Coincidentally, the theme of this year's Greenbelt is Heaven in Ordinary. If you would like to explore these ideas further, you could do worse than to be fully present to the muddy fields around Cheltenham racecourse over August Bank Holiday weekend! Click here for information.

Well in Bono laa!!!

I know we all suffer a little celebrity do-gooder fatigue from time to time. We see the likes of good old "Sir"-Effing-Bob or indeed "Sir" Bono on TV and we want to say "yeah, yeah, point taken, why don't you just go back to making records..." Well, I for one am prepared to take off my cynical head today and say an understated "nicely put" to Bono. Click on the image below to hear a stirring speech made by the man himself on the occasion of winning the Chairman's award at the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) last night. I just love the way his voice quivered with passion toward the end. A "Spirited" performance if ever there was one and a message for us all to take to heart.