Saturday 29 August 2020

The Canterbury War Horse

Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is also a tourist attraction and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In common with all churches in Britain the cathedral closed in March. Services resumed on 5 July and visitors are once again welcome throughout the week. 2020 has been a challenging year for places or worship, whatever their size.

In the Cathedral Precincts stands the Canterbury War Horse. Installed in 2018 as part of the World War I Centenary Commemorations the 20 foot high horse towers over visitors. It stands, head bowed, as a reminder of both the human and animal lives lost in war. 

This year, loss of life has been a daily fact of life. Efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 have brought further loss. No-one has been untouched by the health crisis that threatens our lives and our well being. 

The War Horse is intended to encourage reflection on the human experience of loss. Sited as it is near the main door of the Cathedral, it stands as a reminder that God does not turn away from human suffering and loss. In this historic place of worship, where the resurrected Jesus is worshipped, God's compassion and concern for the whole creation is daily affirmed and celebrated. 

Canterbury's War Horse is not a memorial to lives lost in a war that ended over a hundred years ago. It is a reminder that death does not have the final word. 





Saturday 22 August 2020

Watching and waiting

2020 has been a year for watching and waiting. As the year began, we watched the developing situation in China, hoping that the deadly virus causing sickness and death wouldn't reach our shores. Later, when COVID-19 became an ever present threat in our own country, we watched as the daily death toll rose and waited to see what would happen next. And now, as restrictions ease we continue to watch and wait, hoping that the worst is over but fearing a second wave. 

August 2020 has seen an end to watching and waiting in one area of life this week. With the drama surrounding GCSE and A level results resolved young people are now in a position to plan for the future. For them and their families the anxious time of watching and waiting is at an end. 

There are signs of hope in other areas of our lives. Many churches are already holding services and others will follow in September. We continue to watch and wait for permission to sing but being together as a Christian community once again is encouraging. 

Watching and waiting has always been a part of the life of faith. As we continue to watch and wait this year we look to God for the strength to endure on the journey towards a future filled with hope.

Monday 17 August 2020

What if?

 2020 has been a year like no other. Everyday life has changed in ways no-one could have anticipated. Unfamiliar words and concepts have entered everyday speech. Slogans and public health warnings have shaped the way we live. Freedoms once taken for granted have been curtailed as across the world governments seek to control the virus. Plans, events, holidays and normal social life have all been put on hold. The 2020 we were expecting has been cancelled. 

But what if 2020 isn't cancelled, but turns out to be the most important year of them all? What if  this most unusual of years actually empowers and encourages change? What if, as Christians, we pray for the transformation of our church communities rather than settle for picking up the threads of a life that has ended? 

What if 2020 really does turn out to be not an ending but a new beginning?