Month: October 2024

November 5th approaches but Bonfire night with the burning of the Guy seems to vanished from popular culture. Some were always uncomfortable with what they imagined lay behind this, the burning alive of individuals, and sadly churches of all denominations once eagerly embraced this practice. There is a fine line between zeal and fanaticism; it has always been easy for some to delude themselves that they are doing the work of God, not committing murder. To some however, the zeal of those who were the victims of the burners also seems uncomfortable. The journalist and vice president of Humanists UK, Polly Toynbee, has described martyrdom as a “repugnant virtue”. There are individuals who seem to relish confrontation over issues that could probably be resolved more easily by talking; I have dealt with a few of those myself. But there are cases where evil needs to be named and confronted and this can be costly. On a recent trip to London, I was able to view the statues at the front of Westminster Abbey; twelve martyrs of the 20^th century who fell opposing dictators in the name of their faith. There is line from those going all the way back to Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who refused to compromise on what he believed to be true and so was sacrificed to a mob. These are not individuals practicing a “repugnant virtue”, they are people who recognised that sometimes truth was worth more than their own lives.

Rev David Poyner

Last Saturday I was at Chetton village hall for a concert by an Irish duo who go by the name of “Hooded Crow”. The hall was full, the music good, the company even better. This wasn’t a church service, I have no idea how many of the people who came would consider themselves to be Christian or even religious, but that does not keep God out. By a coincidence, the priest and poet/performer, Malcolm Guite, wrote a short piece in the Church Times along this theme. It was written after a colleague encouraged him to remember St Francis at one of his performances; the Rev Guite is a Franciscan and the poem is called “St Francis drops in on My Gig”.

I didn’t think I’d find you in this place

I guess you must have slipped in at the back

I’m lifting my guitar out of its case

But seeing you I nearly put it back!

You smile and say that it’s your local too,

You know the ins and outs of inns like this,

The people here have hidden wounds like you,

And you have bidden them to hidden bliss.

‘Francis I’ve only straggled after you,

I’ve never really caught your melody,

The joy you bring when every note rings true…’

But you just laugh and say ‘play one for me!’

This one’s for you then, on the road once more,

The first, the last, the hard-core troubadour.

(St. Francis drops in on my gig! | Malcolm Guite (wordpress.com))

Rev David Poyner

David Tennant, the former Dr Who actor, is putting on a new performance of Macbeth, in which every member of the audience will have earphones so they listen to even the quietest whispers from the actors. He has spoken of how this will help with the famous scene where Macbeth is confronted by witches who tell of his fate. He feels this is very difficult to stage successfully for modern audiences, with little or no belief in the supernatural. I am not entirely convinced that this is the case, but it is certainly true that there is less recognition of anything beyond ourselves in modern society. His solution is for the witches never to appear on stage at all; the audience will simply hear voices and left to work out for themselves the reality of what they are hearing.  At that point, I began to warm to the idea. Many years ago, a hymn writer described the call of God as the “still small voice of calm”, picking up episode describing the experience of the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament. Equally, I wonder what voices those who do evil think they hear? Perhaps the play is onto something important is dramatising the inner voice?

Rev David Poyner

In a few days, we will mark the 1^st anniversary of the 7^th October attack on Israeli civilians, the taking of the hostages and so to our present situation with over 40,000 killed in Gaza and now a war in Lebanon. A few months ago, I brought to this column the words of the Anglican Archdeacon of Jerusalem, when asked if he had any hope. He replied that in the city that witnessed the resurrection, there was always hope; it was harder to be optimistic. Those words came back to me a few days ago, when the lectionary featured Psalm 87. The second half of this psalm is as follows;

“I will mention Egypt and Babylon among those who know Me – along with Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia – when I say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”

And it will be said of Zion: “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High Himself will establish her.”

The LORD will record in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”

Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.”

The Old Testament is sometimes portrayed as the record of vengeful God who revels in smitings. However, as this psalm shows, there is another side, as the writer recognises how the God of Israel is also the God of all peoples. Perhaps this gives some more grounds for hope as this anniversary comes upon us.

Rev David Poyner