Rainbow after the rain. Storm Floris passes over the Lake District and leaves a rainbow behind.Photo by Gill Henwood.
My friend Gill Henwood has been reflecting on Midsummer life in the Lake District, Cumbria. She sent me her reflection in the form of a poem with a P.S. about Nature at work. When she sent it, we were all awaiting the August Summer Storm christened by the weather people as Floris. The North of England, the whole of Scotland and the Western Isles as far as Orkney are bearing the brunt of it, but already things are improving in Cumbria. Gill invites us to ponder on the beauty, stillness and calm, which can so often follow a storm. This is not just true of Nature but also in our own lives too. Sometimes we are buffeted about by what life throws at us but God is always near, ready to throw his rainbow cloak of love in a great arc over us. We do, however, like Elijah in 1 Kings 19, be still to hear and know God is there for you. Here’s Gill’s poem:
AFTER THE RAIN. Gill Henwood
The winds are soughing In the beech tree canopy. Sound ripples away As the waves on a beach.
Lichens reach into the air Dewdrops and sun A rich garden Growing on the stump.
Badgers have clawed Bark for grubs, Dragonflies shimmer Past, in the sun shafts.
Life is renewed The seasons turn again After rain, the sun. After storms, the calm.
And throughout, the still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-13
P.S. The dragonfly, emerald and gold, dazzled me. S/he flew on but, having stopped, I looked. Noticed. A miniature garden on the decaying tree stump. Was s/he a fleeting messenger? “Remember, it’s Lammas…”. The farmer was baling the hay last night at 10pm, headlights on the tractor, collecting the bales before overnight rain. First fruits, in the sheep-dwelt fells: the grass harvest for winter feed. And for all the local creatures of hedges, dry stone walls, woods and tarns: plentiful seeds, berries, nuts, leaves. A harvest festival is quietly underway.
[Lughnasad is the Celtic name for Lammas, time of the ‘first fruits’ of harvest. (Newgrange website) Lammas is the Christian Festival on August 1st when we give thanks for Harvest that is coming and offer to God the gifts of the Land.]
A refugee standing in front of the Bell Hotel in Epping. Photo courtesy of The Guardian. newspaper
‘Every human being deserves dignity’: asylum seeker in Essex hotel calls for understanding
We are all rightly concerned about the situation in Gaza at the moment, not least because of the famine amongst the Palestinian people. This is something which has brought many nations and peoples to cry out against what some are calling acts of genocide. Many voices are now speaking out about the plight of the Palestinians and action is in process. However, huge though this situation is, it is part of something far greater which is affecting not only those in the troubled areas of the world – Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and the whole of Europe and North Africa – but all of us. What is of the deepest concern is the state and plight of humanity as a whole. At present in the United Kingdom, we have a huge example of this.
For whatever reason, we in Britain have become a destination for many of the refugees who, over the past few years have been forced out of their homelands by despotic and cruel Governments or those factions in countries who seek power over others.
In Britain we hear much of those who desperately try to cross The English Channel (or Manche, if you are European)to what they perceive as freedom and safety. They have been forced out of places such as Syria, Yemen, North and mid-Africa, The Ukraine, and the far-east. None of them want to leave their homelands but they have no choice. Many are educated and skilled people; all are seeking welcome, generosity, kindness, understanding, hope and love. From most people in the United Kingdom they get a lot of that but there are also cruel, selfish and deeply hurtful people who are making some refugees’ lives a living hell. This is being experienced here in Essex right now, though most of those who are creating the most difficulty are not from Epping or even Essex.
The situation has rightly frightened and threatened the Refugees themselves and one of them, who has been named Nabil to protect him, has written a letter to The Guardian Newspaper. On Monday 28th July, Ben Quinn published this letter and urges us to share it widely. From the hotel where Nabil currently lives targeted by protesters, he urges people not to resort to harmful stereotypes. In the letter sent to the Guardian, Nabil said he had previously been attacked while out walking, and he called to be treated with “understanding and fairness” and for people not to resort to harmful stereotypes. Nabil’s name has been changed. Here is the letter, which was written in Arabic and translated by the author using Google Translate, in full:
Warm greetings,
I am writing to you from a deeply human perspective, hoping to share a point of view that is often overlooked in public discourse and media coverage about refugees. We, as refugees, are frequently labeled with harmful stereotypes – that we came only for benefits, that we live off taxpayers, or that we are uneducated or disrespectful. These assumptions hurt us, hinder our integration, and most importantly, do not reflect the truth. I want to be honest: yes, there are some refugees who do not behave respectfully or who do not follow the rules of the host society. But those individuals do not represent all of us. As with any group of people, there are both good and bad – and it is unfair to judge the majority by the actions of a few.
I did not come here seeking wealth or running from poverty. In fact, I had a stable life back in my country, Yemen. I had a job, a house, a car, and everything I needed to live with dignity. What forced me to leave was not economic hardship, but persecution and fear for my safety and the safety of my family. We refugees are not here to take advantage of the system. We are here to rebuild our lives, to work, and to contribute. We will pay taxes like anyone else, not to “drain the system”, but because we believe that mutual respect and responsibility are the foundation of any strong and united society.
This letter is not a plea for sympathy, but a call for understanding and fairness. I believe the media plays a vital role in breaking down stereotypes and presenting the truth. I hope you can be a voice for fairness and show the world that every refugee has a story – and every human being deserves dignity.
With sincere appreciation, Nabil From Yemen
[Published by Ben Quinn, Journalist, The Guardian Newspaper with comment by Mr G]
Statue of St James, Apostle & Martyr, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.
Thoughts on the feast day of St. James, Apostle & Martyr, the first of the Apostles to give life for the Christian faith. f.d. 25th July.
I have a special love of St James whose feast day we keep today. The Church where I learned what the Christian faith was really about was dedicated to him. Another church where I worshipped with much joy for 10 years was also under the patronage of the great apostle. Perhaps I like him too, because he was something of a hot-head, always shooting his mouth off before he thought what he was saying! He also hoped for a special place in the kingdom of heaven but learned that worldly ambition has little to do with the Christianity. Humble, sacrificial service was the lesson he really had to learn and, as the first apostle to be martyred, (when he was beheaded for his belief in Jesus Christ) he learned that the Kingdom of God can never be had on the cheap.
I think I am attracted to him mostly because he is the Patron Saint of Pilgrims. This came about because legend has it that his body was brought to Spain and laid in a church built at Compostela in Northern Spain which has the added name of ’Santiago’ (Spanish for St James). When the Holy Land became cut off for Christians, it was Santiago de Compostela which became the European centre of Pilgrimages and Pilgrims flocked there (as they still do) to make a special journey which is both physical and spiritual.
As the Holiday season gets in full swing it is good to be reminded that ’Holiday’ is derived from ’Holy Day’ – a time of refreshment for body and soul. A pilgrimage is not just a holiday nor a journey to see the sights. It’s a holy journey which has a special purpose. Those who go away on holiday are looking to re-charge their batteries and that is true for those who go to centres of pilgrimage too. People who go on Retreat or who visit holy places are seeking rest for the soul as well as the body. Of course, there is lots of fun to be had too and for pilgrims the journey is part of that. Meeting up with fellow-travellers whose life experience is different and with whom one can share faith is as important as the destination—perhaps more so.
I felt something of this when I visited Assisi, the centre of pilgrimage connected with St. Francis and people who go to Taizé, Holy Island, Iona, Walsingham, Canterbury and other centres of Pilgrimage throughout the world, feel much the same. What is often felt is that God calls us apart to a place where, as the poet T S Eliot puts it, prayer has been valid. It’s a thin place, where God is more easily experienced. This is what I discovered when I took the Pilgrim way to Santiago a few years back. Of course, this should also be true of every church building but some places are special.
The word for this journey is ‘ Camino’ . That is a Spanish word meaning path, or way. It refers to a network of pilgrimage routes from all over Europe and beyond. These ways each lead to the Shrine of St James in the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
But journeys are not just outward. The real journey is inward and from Baptism onward Christians are all called to make a pilgrimage of faith—the journey of life—which leads us more and more into that most holy of all places, the Kingdom of God. The description of the Church as the Pilgrim People stresses this journey. We are a people always on the move, always changing and being changed by grace as we try to make space for God in our lives. This is true for most who are members of the world religions. We are all called to travel in faith to God.
Of course, we don’t always have to leave our homes at all! I love the story of an old lady who was asked why she just sat in her room. “I’m not sitting’ she replied, ‘I’m on a journey!’ She didn’t need a special place to find God. He was in her heart. We find him best when we are still. Happy travelling!
[See my Blog entry for July 31st 2022 for a poetic reflection on Camino Communion by Piers Northam]
You hold your dead child, remembering the tender holding of your new-born. You cannot weep but only look down blankly, unseeing. Numbed pain does its work like anaesthetic holding off the anguish of a pain too hard to bear.
You become inhuman not in the way of the agents of death, who deny you both food and shelter, warmth and love, but more because in the face of despair and agony, it is impossible to be that child of God you were made to be.
But you are not alone. We too are dehumanized as we witness this callous denial and misuse of humanity – a humanity we are supposed to share.
And when we do nothing? What is our answer to the heart of God who made and loves us? What is our response, as we look on the child, cradled in your arms?
Mr G's Ponderings 