Last night windows were smashed at Guildford Cathedral, the Diocesan Education Centre and the Cathedral Refectory. The damage was found by a cleaner early on Wednesday morning and Scene of Crime officers are currently on site.
The Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Revd Christopher Hill said he was “Shocked and distressed at this criminal damage and sacrilege” and the Dean of Guildford, the Very Revd Victor Stock said: “It is literally shocking to have Cathedral offices and the Cathedral itself vandalised. The most damaging effect of this vandalism is on the John Hutton engraved angel on the Great West Door, an irreplaceable piece of 20th century art*.”
Cathedral Administrator, Tony Lyddon, said “I was horrified to see the mindless vandalism and considerable damage both to the Cathedral and adjoining buildings.”
Diocesan Director of Education, Canon Derek Holbird also expressed disbelief at such a callous attack on a centre that is popular with huge numbers of teachers and children’s and young people’s workers.
* John Hutton made the great glass West End for Coventry Cathedral
I was sent a link to a fascinating project in Afghanistan 'Our journey to smial: Afgan Peace volunteers. 2 video links are below:
Afghan lady & girl stand with vigil youth to give greetings of peace
The technical difficulties in uploading this video was worth it ; just to hear Nazuko and Parwin’s ordinary Afghan voices of peace raised along with a slowly growing heart-storm of love! Watch an Afghan lady & girl stand with peace youth volunteers in greetings to the U.S. Ambassador Eikenberry, who urged for no troop surge.
Zekerullah, “Eikenberry Sir & your wife, do you have time to be with us at the Bamiyan Peace Park?”
Nazuko : “We wish for peace. Love is how we’ll ask for peace.”
Zekerullah, a 13 year Afghan youth peace volunteer who is taking part in the peace vigils at Bamiyan Peace Park, is learning to walk that 2nd mile for love.
Love speaks the truth with gentleness, calling corruption corruption, not a budding democracy.
Love will not nurture greed in Afghan robes or international suits.
Love walks 2 hours in the mud to earn a decent penny though it is aware that, by economic design, money and power are not with those who walk.
Love deliberately asks ‘Does Zekerullah deserve a decent livelihood as much as I do?’
Love waits eagerly for peace and justice, even if, by ‘fateful neglect’, it is un-noticed and un-rewarded.
Love knows that killing in whatever name, even in the name of ‘Overseas Contingency Operations’, is killing. Killing removes life and love; we are not able to justify to Zekerullah that killing is a civil response for our ‘contingencies’.
Love recognizes that war is not peace, whatever its prize.
Love empathizes with soldiers and victims who suffer post-traumatic stress, knowing that it is an ORDER of human conscience that can guide Mankind to wholeness, pleading ‘Enough. Please stop!’
You can follow more on the website or Twitter or via their Facebook group
I signed up to receive updates from OSCAR: the UK information service for world mission. Recently 2 things that may be of wider interest:
Technology and Mission This month, instead of one article, you're getting six! We've teamed up with 'Encounters', Redcliffe College's mission ezine, to take an in-depth look at how technology is affecting the way we do mission. Articles are included from some key practitioners involved in bringing technology and mission together including Tim Young, field IT consultant with LightSys Technology Services, Tony Whittaker, coordinator of Internet Evangelism Day, and Phil Prior, Head of Marketing for Wycliffe Bible Translators. To read the articles, go to www.redcliffe.org/technologyandmission
Steps on the Missionary Road Good and relevant devotional material for mission workers is hard to find. Claudia Smith, a mission partner in Uganda with Crosslinks, has written a series of 28 devotional studies for first time mission workers. These are now available exclusively through OSCAR and downloadable for anyone wherever they are. Why not buy a copy as a Christmas gift for any new mission workers you know? Go to www.oscar.org.uk/steps.htm <http://www.oscar.org.uk/steps.htm>
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
– Julian of Norwich
These words have been a great comfort to me as we face a period of intense change And I have been helped by the following from Patrick Comerford's Blog
Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) is one of the greatest English mystics. When she was 30, she suffered a severe illness and, believing she was on her deathbed, had a series of intense visions that ended on 13 May 1373. She recorded these visions and then reflected on them in theological depth 20 years later in Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love– the first book written in English by a woman.
Julian’s positive outlook does not come from ignoring suffering or being blind to it, but arises from the clarity she attained as she struggled with her own questions. This struggle gave her the ability to see beyond the pain and suffering and to look into the compassionate face of God. Only this gazing could reassure her that – despite pain, and sorrow – in God’s own time, “all shall be well.”
According to Julian, the unfathomable mystery of love is the supreme sign of the reality of God, and sin is necessary so that we can become, as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “instruments of love in the hands of God.”
Hamid Karzai's inauguration in Kabul was attended by 40 foreign dignitaries and a large crowd of Afghan Nationals. The city itself was quiet. a public holiday was declared. I watched some of the ceremony itself on Afghan TV. Nothing untoward has happened so far.
The BBC reported on the day. I also read some of the comments on the BBC discussion: Can this be a new beginning? So many were negative and written by people I can only presume have not got a clue about how things are here in Kabul. So I made the following contribution to the debate:
I am from UK but currently visiting Kabul. So far the Afghans I have spoken to seem pleased with the inauguration. One said that all the wild animals had been running wild in the zoo. Now most have been put back in cages. It takes time for any system of government to develop. Karzai is in between the rock and a hard place. Western preconceptions of what democracy should look like in a place like Afghanistan and militant commanders ready to run wild again. Give the man (and country) a chance.
There is a dignity about people here in Afghanistan and I discern a real desire to build the nation and restore normality (whatever that means). Karzai's Govt must make this work. The alternatives are unimaginable.
But even if the wild animals are loose again, the humanitarian work and Nation building needs to continue.
Wild horses couldn't keep me away from this place!
At 11am on 11th of November we have a tradition to remember all those who have fallen in Armed conflict, since world war one (The Original Armistace day was 11o'clock on 11th Nov 1918) The tradition is marked by 2 minutes of silence and it is an opportunity to remember those who have died (in every conflict: Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan to name but a few) and pray for those who grieve their loss and also to pray for peace in the world today.
The following is some of the material I used in services of remembrance
WDYTYA - who do you think you are?
Many of us have been into family history, so now Armistace Day is when I remember2 great uncles, both killed in Ypres – Pvt 8936 Albert Edward Toms of the 2nd Suffolk Rgt was KIA in Ypres in Feb 1915, 4 days before his 18th birthday, one of 54,896 listed on the Menin Gate and Cpl 5021 Ernest Gibbons of the 1st Royal Irish Rifles, KIA 1st Oct 1918 (after fighting most of the war) He was 'buried' in Dadizeele, near Ypres.
Harry Patch the last fighting Tommy died this year so there were no more WW1 veterans taking part in remembrance services around the country. 'The old boys are leaving' A YouTube video commemorates his life to the requiem music from Band of Brothers.
WAR POEMS
Poetry can capture some of the conflicts and contradictions of War and can speak in very personal ways. The 2 poems I have chosen are written in 1915 and 2009
'In Flanders Fields'Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)Canadian Army
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lieIn Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.
HELMUND A poem by John Hawkhead
Author's introductionThis poem concerns the current operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. My intention was to draw parallels between military operations using the poppy, which is grown extensively for opium and ironically is also the symbol we use for Remembrance Day.
Helmand
Night on the cold plain,
invisible sands lift,
peripheral shadows stir,
space between light and dark
shrouding secrets;
old trades draped grey.
Here too poppies fall,
petals blown on broken ground,
seeds scattered on stone
and this bright bloom,
newly cropped, leaves pale remains,
fresh lines cut;
the old sickle wind
sharp as yesterday.
THE RED and THE WHITE
The red poppy speaks powerfully of Flanders and has become the symbol of Remembrance, whilst the white poppy brings us up to date to the opium fields of Afghanistan and has also become a symbol of Peace.
We used paper red and white poppies as prayers
Red Poppy – write the name of someone who has died who is known personallly ( or to an 'unknown Soldier') or the name of a conflict.
White poppy - write a prayer for World Peace- or a place or person needing 'peace'
We then placed the poppies in a bowl or on a table at the foot of the cross (to the music of Benedictus sung by Hayley Westenra)
PLAYING FOR CHANGE
Playing For Change as a group of musicians from around the world who have come together (vitually) to promote Peace. It seemed very appropriate to play their video War/No more trouble during the service
War has eroded religious faith for many but it was out of the context of a WW2 concentration camp, that this powerful expression of faith in the face of adversity was written by a Jew:
