Hill of Crosses

I had never heard of the Hill of Crosses which is to be found in Lithuania, until seeing it on TV recently. It's origins are vague, perhaps pagan, but the most recent turn in its history came in the middle of the 20th century when the country was under Soviet governance. The site had been a place of Catholic pilgrimage and so the Soviets bulldozed it all in order to convert the locals to atheism. The locals decided to mark the place with crosses as a protest of faith and of national identity. For years it was a battleground without weapons, being cleared and claimed in equal measure. Lithuania is now independent but the hill continues to draw pilgrims who continue to place crosses.

Please check out more extraordinary pictures here and a fuller description is on Wikipedia here. If you are quick you can catch the TV programme, Episode 8 of Around the world in 80 faiths, on BBC iPlayer here.

It struck me again, just how reductionist Atheism, indeed all forms of totalitarianism, can be. And how resilient the human spirit can be. For some, this is the evolutionary drive of survival. For me, it is the human spirit at work - the soul fighting for room to exist. To me, faith is bringing my soul into line with the Creator of the soul. Sometimes I get carried along with His flow; sometimes it buffets me against a few rocks; sometimes I decide to flow against it; sometimes I chill out and float in the deep. Sometimes it is at being at One with God, sometimes it is we are at sixes and sevens.

Ultimately, I find it the most satisfying thing in life.

A reminder of Darkest England

I had a nice reminder as to why I do what I do when we had a family day out in Leeds and went to the Leeds Art Gallery. There is an exhibition entitled Rank: Picturing The Social Order 1615-2009. It shows how art has been used to describe society down the ages. Prominent amongst the exhibits is a floor-to-ceiling version of the frontispiece to General William Booths classic book Darkest England and the Way Out. Taking Dr Livingstone's tagline describing Africa as the Dark Continent, it made a case that Victorian Britain was just as dark and needed rescuing. His Social Campaign depicted the problems of the country as drowning in a sea of depravations, amongst which were vice, drunkeness, despair, Jack and Ripper and Idiotcy!

Booths plan was Salvation - the rescue of all of those in that dark sea. But Salvation was not restricted to getting them out of the drink - they were to be patched up, given education and then opportunities given here or in the colonies and other places. I was reminded that Salvation is not just a spritual one and doesn't stop at a soup kitchen. We, as a society, need to go further and bring people back in from the dark. Like the Kingdom of God, Booth saw some of it happen in his time and but not all of it. I am glad, and today somewhat proud, to be albeit a small part of this great plan in my own way and place.

There is also another mention of the Army at the exhibition in a French satirical cartoon having a go at the British showing our hierarchical society with a procession headed by Army lasses in their bonnets! Can't interpret that one.

The exhibition is on until the end of April.

Lessons from the Tuesday Kitchen - Lesson 5

You have to have a laugh.

Here is a conversation which took place this week:

Mark : I can't believe it. Our case worker has refused to come round any more. What use is that?
Lindy: Yeah - it's made life really difficult. They should be helping us.
Me: So why has she done that.
Mark: It's only because I've got a gun. Well, it's only a .22 - it'll hurt you but it won't kill.
Nick:Hey Rob. Did I shoot you with a .22?
Rob: (Pauses while he thinks!) Yeah! (Carries on eating)

Nick was in a much better state this week. He came to us last week in the depths of the snow and cold spell, sleeping rough without a sleeping bag or covering having come out of prison with nothing. He was in a bad way. Very cold, very hungry and very down. We kitted him out with some stuff including an Army surplus sleeping bag which did the trick. So it was good to see that he survived the week and is taking a step back towards getting sorted and a bit more of a smile on his face.

I, for one, am glad that Mad Men has returned for series two. The series is set in a top advertising agency in the heady 60's. The show is beautifully shot, creating a real feel for what it was like to live at the time, the script is sharp, the performances snap and fizz, and the episodes have a good mix of self-contained stories and ongoing development of themes and characters.

All of the characters have things to hide, which get revealed over time, while the excesses of the corporate world are gradually exposed. Much has been said about the way in which the portrayal of rampant sexism, racism, homophobic hard drinking, hard smoking, workaholic lifestyles.

It says a lot about shallowness in the world of opportunity and plenty. And yet, there are those who fight for good and reach for the best.

If you want to catch it, the schedule can be found here.

Lessons from The Tuesday Kitchen - Lesson 4

I know nothing about life.

We had seen Matt and Lucy before Christmas but they came into our church soup kitchen today in a poor way. Before long Matt was sobbing his heart out and Lucy joined in. He has serious mental health problems and they are both addicts, not only to heroin but also to the medication that is supposed to help them. They are tens of thousands in debt, have a flat which leaks water, a faulty electicity meter which over charges and they have been told that they will be evicted if they cannot find £1000 for a deposit. Every agency they turn to for help looks at them as if they are scum. They told us worse things but those are not for me to share. They have nothing going for them.

As so often with those who come to our soup kitchen we felt as if we could do very little. A hot meal and drink, some food to take away, making time for a chat. They left with small smiles on their faces, we were left with tears on ours. Their parting words - "Thank you. You have been so nice".

What do I know about their world? What can I understand? Who am I to offer anything? What true sacrifice have I ever made?

Throughout the bible, God deliberately calls his people to look after the poor. I am convinced that it not primarly because of the state poverty brings, but it is because we need to learn from them what it is to be human. As long as the church remains aloof from those it should be serving, then it will not be the force for good that God intended it to be.