Away in Hawkshead

A delightful few days away with two friends in parish ministry from Queen's College in the Lake District at Fellfield, the Liverpool Diocese's place for clergy reading weeks and holidays.

In some ways it seems inappropriate to read books about strategies for baptism preparation or renewing liturgy at a place which is so peaceful and so "out of this world" - but it works ! No cars, reversing vans or Police helicopters means that one can read and refresh deeply.

Now I turn my face towards my imminent new role at St Mary's and St James' churches. Exciting if a little daunting. I am looking forward to meeting the people and getting stuck in.

Anger

Pure Anger, originally uploaded by mist305.


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Anger is a strange thing. It frightens others and when it emeertges unexpectedly it can frighen the carrier of it. Yet so much about anger is good, it's personal, it is speaking a truth etc.

Jim Cotter in his excellent daily prayer has this phrase today:

You can use the energy of your anger well

if it is contained by trust and constructive intent.

But cold and bitter hatred,

cold-blooded vengefulness,

eats away inside you,

sours relationships,

and, if it strikes out,

it destroys,

leaving ashes in the air and in the mouth.

There is some wisdom in having anger contained by trust and directed with constructive intent. Trust means perhaps that others who know you accept the anger and let it be, so that you can see it expressed and learn from it. Out there it can be a ctalyst for greater depth. And surely the difference between the useful fruitful anger of much political activism and the bitter corrosive anger of unsorted relationships s just that - constructve inent.

Starving people and Driving Cars

The challenge of climate change is a major threat to life as we know it. It s something we should respond to with our brains and our hearts. We should listen to science, and care for those who are the most affected. Few would disagree.

However as George Monbiot shows, some enterprising governments will use it as an opportunity to make money and further damage the lives of their poor citizens. His article is angry and a judgement on how duped those of us who want to be green can be. We too need apply our hearts and minds to this issue.

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/11/06/an-agricultural-crime-against-humanity/

Under the Tower

Under the Tower,
originally uploaded by racingsquirrel.

Today I remembered how at this time last year I was in Paris, on my Sabbatical, thinking about and meeting with the French worker priests. In the wind and rain of today I thought about that beautiful city, even off season and the struggle of people like those I met for humanity.

This lovely photo was not taken by me, but comes from the Flickr website.

Double Blind

I have just been reading - or perhaps rather viewing - a book by Paolo Pellegrin (Magnum Photos) and journalist Scott Anderson. They were in Lebanon during the recent conflict, on assignment for The New York Times. Pellegrin’s photographs "intimately capture the fear and powerlessness of the Lebanese population in the face of the ceaseless Israeli air strikes, revealing the terror and despair of families and friends witnessing the deaths of their loved ones, whilst around them their homes were destroyed."

It's a very powerful book and a good antidote to the numbness that comes with over exposure to 24 hour TV news ! Better surely to have one or two good images and a few words so we can feel, and respond with prayer and or action.

Further to my previous post I read in Wikipedia that Susan Sontag argued that photography is a way of consuming the world. She says in On Photography : ‘The method especially appeals to people handicapped by a ruthless work ethic – Germans, Japanese and Americans. Using a camera appeases the anxiety which the work driven feel about not working when they are on vacation and supposed to be having fun. They have something to do that is like a friendly imitation of work: they can take pictures’.

I think she has a point. Yet these photos show human solidarity and compassion. That's good photography.

Photographs

Isn't photography a strange business ? Whilst I have been away from work I have had the time to do some photography - once my big passion. What I notice is how much harder I find it to photograph people - I have less barefaced cheek than I used to. Perhaps taking a photo really does take something away from an other, certainly it risks seeing them as an object not as a person.

Talking of photos here I am - posted so I can put it on my blog. How do you read a photo - and in what way do I want you to read it ?

Sicko

Michael Moore's latest film combines cut and thrust with humour and humanity. He looks at the USA health care system (so called - it delivers profits more than health) through the stories of people, both insured and unisured.

It's an horrific tale. It seems that some health insurance company doctors get bonuses for reaching their targets on refusing people's claims. It full of amazing but true horrors - for example the 22 year old woman with cancer who was refused cover because she was too young and the occurence was exceptional.

Daringly Moore finishes by working out that the only place where there is free health cover in the US is at Guantanamo bay where the inmates are given what they need. So, of course, he takes a group of sick citizens on a flotilla of boats to the prison. When that doesn't work he takes them to Cuba where they get what they need ! Funny and powerful. Must watch. ***** by thius reviewer !