A day in the Life of....

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Mimosa

As we enter February I always look forward to seeing the beautiful and fragile looking snowdrops.
They are not fragile at all as they will happily push their tiny white flowers through the snow to
give us the very first sign of Spring. When I lived in Spain Spring came early with the almond blossoms
making swathes of pink up and down the hillsides around out home and along with it came the wonderful
yellow Mimosa. MIMOSOIDEAE has 400 species in the family and in our garden we had a large hanging tree
if the yellow variety: this variety is very prolific in warmer climes of Europe but no more so than in
the South of France where it covers the whole coast from Cannes to Hyeres, Nice to the lower slopes of
the Pyrenees. In France they have a Mimosa Trail for the visitors and a Mimosa festival 'FETE DE mIMOSA'.
I lived in Spain where the winters could be a little too chilly for this beauty but nevertheless we had
one in our garden which never failed to delight us in February, about a month later than in France but
ever welcome. Children in the aria used to pick a bunch to give to the abuela (granny) for Candlemas
so there was a constant watch on the trees to see if they were going to be at their best so early in the
but Juan, our man in the garden sould always find a small early sprig for his grandaughter.

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Romanians and Bulgarians now have permission to come to UK It is the sort of love that Christians might show those foreigners who have chosen to dwell among us, for they do so perfectly legally. It may be "irresponsible to open the door unconditionally", but it is open. You may wish it were otherwise, but it is not. You can pretend that it is, and scoff and scorn at the flood of thieves, tramps and benefit scroungers, or you can meet one or two, talk to them, and discover their hopes and dreams. For they live with bread, like you; feel want, taste grief, and need friends. They are equal to us: they have the same human rights, and are worthy of dignity and respect. You may disagree that such migrants are essential to economic recovery, but they are here nonetheless. You may object to them having access to higher wages and tax credits, but they are here. You can argue about national sovereignty or the ethics of immigration and cultural identity. But they are here. You can moan about overcrowded schools, the inability to get a doctor's appointment or see a dentist. But they are here. To be embittered about their presence is self-destructive and futile, for they are here. To spit at them or despise them is a profoundly un-Christian discrimination, for Jesus loves them and they are our neighbour. So, as they try to live among us and scratch out a living from a cold bedsit, treat them as you would your friends: be kind, courteous and considerate. For they have come here to seek a better life for themselves. You may wish it were otherwise, but EU accession has manifestly done nothing for them in their own impoverished towns and jobless villages, and so they are here among us. And you and your neighbour are equal partners within a universe which has its origin and end in God. To love them is the highest good; to disdain them a tyranny. Their welfare and liberty, or their misery and enslavement, are in your hands. Do not view them as objects of corruption or parasitical need, for they are your fellow man, and to withhold your neighbour-love is to deny their value and significance and negate your love for God. They are in a foreign land, but so are you, for our citizenship is in heaven. posted byArchbishop Cranmer at 9:04 am Permalink 46 Comments: Blogger The Explorer said... "our citizenship is in Heaven." But what is our nationality to be within that citizenship? Some religions seek the extinction of the individual, but Christianity says our individuality will survive: indeed, will even be enhanced. Will that include our nationality? The EU project seems to entail the swallowing up of individual nations within the Euro whole. The next stage, presumably, is for the Euro entity to merge and dissolve itself into some sort of global nation? But the vision in 'Revelation seems to be of something rather different. 7:9 - " a vast throng from every nation." 22:3 - "the leaves of the trees serve for the healing of the nations". Nations in harmony with one another. But still nations, none the less. 2 January 2014 09:42 Blogger David Hussell said... Your Grace is right to point to their essential humanity, like the rest of us. But to leave it simply at that is to ignore the bulk of the practicalities and implications which relate to this political foolishness, which are legion. But no doubt Your Grace is relying on the comments that will pile in below, as you have created the opportunity for comment, which is the essential purpose of a blog. No, we must not blame the individual economic migrants, they are just seeking work. It is primarily the mendacious politicians so keen to destroy a thousand years of slowly evolving culture. Market forces, unwisely unconstrained by those politicians will continue causing so much unnecessary suffering for the most vulnerable sections of the population. It is a strange combination of unfettered right wing capitalism with idealistic, unworldly international socialist thinking that pulls up those fences, the borders that by regulating markets, protected the vulnerable. Expect interesting results in the polls ! 2 January 2014 09:44 Blogger Dreadnaught said... This comment has been removed by the author. 2 January 2014 09:46 Blogger Dreadnaught said... Kieth Vaz - the man for whom the word Oleagenous is barely adequate. 2 January 2014 09:49 Blogger The Explorer said... I suppose I'm contrasting the mind set that would dissolve all boundaries with the one that sees some boundaries as legitimate. Rousseau, who donated all five of his children to the local orphanage at birth, and spoke of compelling all to be free. And Aristotle, who saw the family as the basic unit of society. 2 January 2014 10:02 Blogger Andrew said... Gosh, if that's the revised version of Dreadnaught's comment, what must the original one he deleted have been like? 2 January 2014 10:14 Blogger Andrew said... Gosh, if that's the revised version of Dreadnaught's comment, what must the original one he deleted have been like? 2 January 2014 10:14 Blogger Dreadnaught said... Had trouble spelling Vaz. 2 January 2014 10:29 Blogger IanCad said... A beautiful posting YG. Our masters may be unwise, opportunistic and venal but these new arrivals are only doing what, to them, seems best. Our Lord and Saviour has plenty to say about how we should treat them. 2 January 2014 10:34 Blogger MrTinkles said... Andrew - yes, my thought too. I was wondering if he deleted the previous one for poor spelling. On topic though; excellent post YG. Those of us who may have concerns with the EU, immigration policy or any of this oleaginous government's actions sometimes need to remind ourselves that there are actual people behind the Daily Mail's headlines. I don't know how Jesus would have voted or what He thinks about the EU, but I do know He would show the same love and compassion to the plumber from Romania as He does to me. 2 January 2014 10:41 Blogger Martin said... Dreadnaught You also seem to have had a problem spelling Keith. ;-) 2 January 2014 10:45 Blogger Avi Barzel said... Ha ha ha ha! Whooo-wee! I had no idea! I really need to keep up with the news. Due to a where I was born, I can hop on a flight before noon today, land in Heathrow whenever, do a little tap-dance on the tarmac and shout, "Hi-ya folks, heeeere I am! What ya got fer me?" Now, if only you had man-sized trucks, real highways, heated houses with hallways you can turn around in without greasing the walls with Vaseline, food one can taste and beer cooler than pee..... ;) 2 January 2014 10:48 Blogger David B said... Actually in practical terms in the only life we know for certain is real, there seems very little difference between my self styled secular atheist liberal point of view than His Grace's Conservative Christian one. Some might disagree with me, but I think it entirely legitimate to have concerns about the macroscopic effects of massive economic migration, the more especially so when there might be large and sometimes upsetting cultural differences involved. At the same time, it must be remembered that the individuals concerned are individuals, with their individual strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, talents etc, and at an individual level surely it behooves us all to treat people on their merits, allowing an extra bit benovolence to allow for benefit of doubt and human kindness. Political asylum is a different matter from economic matter. There again, we are signed up to it, it is a good idea, and my heart goes out to those who suffer under the various dictatorships and theocracies of this world. For instance to freethinkers, to Christians, and to Muslims with the wrong flavour in the Islamic theocracies under which some suffer. There, while there is legally and morally no case against giving succour to the wrong sort of Muslim, I can't help but maintain some sort of concern regarding large scale movements of the persecuted people concerned. Call it weakness on my part if you like, even call it Islamophobia, but I really do not want to see FGM, Child Marriage, forced marriage, calls for the killings of Apostates, stonings and Sharia Law in general, and various other matters which are religiously and/or culturally associated with Islam of many schools taking a foothold here. It is difficult, I freely admit, for me to find a completely internally consistent liberal, secular and humane position on this, but, for good or ill, I freely confess how I feel faced with such issues, and add that I think it important not go give too much importance to religious and cultural privilege. If we can and ought to stand up to such cultural habits as fox hunting, we should, I think, be standing up against FGM, Sharia, Sexual apartheid, cutting bits off children's genitals and much else that remains as an archaic, cruel and inhumane relics of the Middle Eastern cultural and religious heritage. So, as individuals, let us welcome new arrivals with courtesy ans kindness, but let us continue to resist tolerance of abominations on religious and/or cultural grounds. David 2 January 2014 10:50 Blogger The Explorer said... Before the EU existed, people would travel within Britain to find work. Their initiative, and concern for their families, was to be admired. Now that the EU is one big country, some travel within it to find work. Their initiative, and concern for their families, is to be admired. 2 January 2014 10:51 Blogger Len said... Welcome aboard our sinking ship, the decks may be awash, the helmsman`s lost the compass and we are heading for the ice field. Joking aside, the Bulgarians and the Romanians might be a bit surprised to find themselves a bit more Christian than we are?. 2 January 2014 10:52 Blogger Dreadnaught said... You also seem to have had a problem spelling Keith. ;-) I always do! 2 January 2014 10:52 Blogger David Hussell said... Avi @ 10.48 Paragraph 2. I look forward to seeing you.. you would be much appreciated. Paragraph 3. Cheeky bugger ! 2 January 2014 10:57 Blogger The Explorer said... Avi @ 10:48 The houses have to be small because there are so many people to accommodate in the space available. The motorways as well because there must be space to grow at least some of our own food. As it is, we are headed for not only the highest population density in Europe (there already), but also the highest population outright. At some stage in the future, on current predictions, there will be more people living in Britain than there will be people living in Germany. 2 January 2014 11:02 Blogger David Hussell said... The Explorer @ 10.02 Very apposite. I'm with Aristotle. Those family values are receiving a battering at present, from the fashionable,greedy elite, but will always, in the long run, reassert themselves. Rousseau. His private life was, searching for words.... no model of justice or fair play by any standards. By their fruits ye shall know them. Yet by various circuitous routes, it is his sort of thinking that is informing the reckless attempt to destroy the nations and create a centralized euro-empire centered on Brussels. It will fail, but will first cause much hardship. All utopian schemes fail. My conscience keeps me working with Ukip, a party far from perfect but with an instinctive understanding of justice, of the British/Judaeo-Christian flavour. 2 January 2014 11:09 Blogger Avi Barzel said... Thanks, Dave H! Maybe you'll have a spare room for me then...my wife's relatives in Edinburgh and Hastings might not survive the shock of me. But can't blame them; look at David B above and his liberal's nightmares about a chop-chop of his wee-wee. Explore, all that makes sense, except for the pee-warm beer. 2 January 2014 11:17 Blogger The Explorer said... Avi: Myself, I follow French drinking patterns: wine, and cold Alsace lager. 2 January 2014 11:30 Blogger bluedog said... David B @ 10.50 rails against 'cutting bits off children's genitals'. But think of the benefits to the NHS. Male circumcision is well known as a mitigating factor in the spread of STDs. Now that 'gross indecency' and worse is legal that must be a positive. In WW2 it was generally recognised that circumcised men on active service, and therefore going unwashed for long periods of time, enjoyed far better health in their private parts than the uncircumcised. If you take a less than shallow look at 'kosher', you will see a regime for maintaining food hygene in an environment without refrigeration. Circumcision is a similar survival technique, with modern relevance. 2 January 2014 11:34 Blogger IanCad said... Avi wrote: "Now, if only you had man-sized trucks, real highways,--" Hold on, Hold on!! The "Puny" lorries we have over here haul a skosh under 100,000lbs. Granted, they are C/O's but a few conventionals are now appearing. The freeways are every bit as good as those in North America. Certainly they are better maintained. Our truck drivers may not be as courteous but have to be more capable in order to navigate the horribly narrow country roads which are an inevitable part of every journey. 2 January 2014 11:34 Blogger Rambling Steve Appleseed said... Of course we should treat people decently but the country is full. And I don't care if that's Nick Griffin's catch phrase, it's still true. As for the unspeakable Vaz, of course socialists want more immigration. They can count on the votes of both immigrants and those Brits who prefer life on benefits to low paid work. 2 January 2014 11:38 Blogger Avi Barzel said... Explorer: I don't know, I'll take the warm beer if I don't ever have to read another legislated bilingual label with the French taking over half of it. Besides, I'm a scotch and schmaltz herring kind of a guy. I can switch to sliced smoked salmon, perhaps with some capers on the side at a drop of a hat, but with the all that scotch around, my liver would be handing me a letter of resignation within a fortnight. 2 January 2014 11:40 Blogger David Hussell said... The Explorer @ 11.02 Space and density. Correct ! Avi's monster trucks are too big for our spaces. We are seriously overcrowded. I spent a lifetime, professionally, as a Geographer and Chartered Town Planner trying to find spaces in which to create environments for families to live, work, recreate and flourish in, without, without ........... resorting to using up land that really, really should not be built on, by any sane society, like flood plains, top quality farmland, ancient wildlife sites, near precious heritage buildings etc etc.... there's a long list of "constraints". The rewarding bit, of course, is actually conceiving concepts, and then designing buildings and spaces, to create new, successful communities in which people can flourish. My hallmark was to plan around schools and a church. But there's very little green field land left that a sane society would develop. There's some, not an unlimited amount of expensive to develop land in urban areas. But how many people can you, should you, cram into our towns and cities? The sites that should be used are few and hotly contested. The British countryside is beautiful, a fragile illusion of design and ingenuity now becoming hopelessly overstrained by sheer numbers of people, in those areas where market forces want people to gather. The infrastructure has been overloaded in the economically vibrant areas, and elsewhere often, for decades. Public Authorities are by nature, democratic and therefore slow moving, and cannot respond quickly to rapid fluctuations in population or demand. This is because of the shortage of firstly, budgets, £ , and secondly shortage of land, as well as political inertia and complications. The politicians are well provided for with pleasant places to live, work and recreate, often abroad or certainly well away from the urban throng in the south. They have ignored these serious environmental limitations for decades now. They don't like reality at all, they just want to be reelected. I wish future generations well, but heaven help us if the supply of cheap, imported food falters. 2 January 2014 11:40 Blogger Avi Barzel said... IanCad Ha! Trucking one-upmanship, eh? But do your conventionals have a 77" tall sleepers, 500-600 hp engines with 1650-2050 lb-ft torque? I'm now contemplating a shower arrangement I saw at a truck show recently. But seriously, if only my AZ (tractor-trailer and airbrake license) were valid in the UK, I'd go and tool around your roads for no pay. I'm bored of the wide curves and monotonous, sparsely populated landscape here. 2 January 2014 11:59 Blogger Dreadnaught said... Good post Mr Hussell. 2 January 2014 12:02 Blogger IanCad said... Back to you later about that Avi, Got to go. 2 January 2014 12:04 Blogger Manfarang said... Avi Didn't you have an ice storm? Anyway in Hastings it was wet and windy. On my flight out on New Years Eve I was annoyed to find only the Daily Mail available. I cannot believe as it claimed that wages in England are the most attractive in Europe. I am back in the sunshine with plenty of crumpet. 2 January 2014 12:04 Blogger David Hussell said... Avi @ 11.17, Spare room, no problem, my friend. From there you can plan your campaign to establish yourself in Blighty. I even know a nice gentle ( not gentile ) Jewish fellow to get you started in that community, though he's very liberal I believe. However the monster truck can stay there I think. But I love those snorting trucks with the stovepipe exhaust and flap on the top -great ! You see more of them in Sweden, which has oodles of room, especially in the far north, which I love. As the sort of Town Planner who relishes the challenge of building whole new communities, I would give my right arm for the wide open swathes of Canada to play with, which I haven't visited yet. Though I was offered a job there with a Canadian/US planning firm in the 70s, but that was remained a road not taken. 2 January 2014 12:09 Blogger Avi Barzel said... David Hussell, before I chucked it all for the open roads, one of my projects involved design work on earthquake resistant reinforced brick and stone masonry houses for Japan. I don't know where I've put the blueprints to give you sizes, but they were shockingly tiny, the houses being the same width of a tight, one-car garage. You are headed for the Japanese solution and will have to trust in God that others will grow your food...unless there is an energy and agricultural revolution. My guess is that it's not actual space you're lacking in the UK, but affordable energy to allow you to spread out a little with two or more cars per family and live at greater distances from work. Mind you, it's that density and greater human imprint on a softer and very lush landscape that, from what I saw in person, makes your country so warm, charming and beautiful. 2 January 2014 12:13 Blogger Manfarang said... Avi As my friend used to say to my Canadian cousins,"We have got double-decker buses". 2 January 2014 12:14 Blogger Avi Barzel said... Hi , yes we had a nasty ice storm. My neighbourhood in Toronto was hit very hard because of all the big, old trees. We scrambled to the basement with all the ice-coated trees and branches crashing on our roof and one of the cars. And then, we lost power for four days and couldn't drive out for two, as our street was blocked by fallen maples...meaning I couldn't get the generator I left at the cottage. There are still about 20,000 people in Ontario without power last time I checked. 2 January 2014 12:27 Blogger The Explorer said... David H @ 11:09 (And great post @ 11:40!) Commit oneself to dissolving boundaries, and it must become very difficult to stop. National borders, the family, male and female, human and animal... Been there, done that. What next? The boundary between the animate and the inanimate? Earth as a lump of uninhabited rock whirling in space? An equality of non-existence must be the ultimate in egalitarianism. I'll bet they're working on it somewhere. 2 January 2014 12:48 Blogger Manfarang said... The Explorer The family? Extended or nuclear? 2 January 2014 12:59 Blogger Dreadnaught said... You can't blame anyone for wanting to lift themselves out of poverty but you can seriously question their right to claim welfare support to achieve it. Minimum wage rates in the UK are more than six times that of many eastern and southern European countries, that's why our benefits as much as taxable working opportunities are so attractive. The EU should rule for financial reciprocaive arrangements between host and home countries, for all ex-patriots claiming benefits. We simply don't need any more Big Issue sellers or spongers 'working the system' with impunity. 2 January 2014 13:17 Blogger The Explorer said... Nuke the nuclear one. Extend the other until it encompasses the whole state. Or, as the denizens of Brave New World put it: "Everybody belongs to everybody." 2 January 2014 13:17 Blogger David Hussell said... The Explorer @ 12.48 Thank you. The rest made me laugh, but the theorists are mad enough to force us to try anything, such is their arrogance and disdain for the proven, traditional approach. But I've been busy with the technology, oh yes ! Mine's the third asteroid from the left, which I'm powering using banks of discarded V8's (from old Rover cars) with loud carburetors and a straight through exhaust system ! We don't do brakes in outer space, but I've got a chunk of rain forest to pump out the oxygen I 'm burning up. Can't wait for the starter's flag to fall, then I'm off on a surge of torque power ! So I'm really looking forward to the track days on Venus and long distance rallies to the outer galaxy. Gentlemen start your engines ! 2 January 2014 13:26 Blogger David Hussell said... Avi @ 12.13 No, energy costs are an issue in lots of places, but the unique ( particular anyway ) point about these islands is that we don't have enough land- simples ! Japan as an island archipelago shares a surprising number of geographical characteristics with these islands ( I'll restrain myself as space is limited) but it's particular "constraint", far worse than here, is the mountainous nature of their island chain. They possess little farm land so their big population gained much of its food from the sea. Hence their tiny houses, one car family, miniature golf courses. It also explains their flocking abroad whenever they can, like the Dutch and for similar reasons, plus the Japanese elaborate social rituals and respect for each others "space". So perceptions of space, influences national social behaviour and all sorts of patterns connected to access to the use of land. We have more flat ish useable land, but a lot is needed for agriculture and water control, plus all the "built" bits including infrastructure. The "train set " is already very tightly crowded. Because of our history and culture we place great value on our views, wildlife and ecology, which is expressed in our literature, painting and recreational pursuits. Forcing in an ever expanding population will distort our national character, a process noted by reformers like Joseph Rowntree. Access to space for housing or even recreation will become the preserve of the wealthy and comfortably off, causing deep resentment from the urban underclass, inevitably. Politicians may be formally well educated at Oxford but they are brain dead in terms of causation and practical, long term thinking. Wisdom is not prized by these people, short termists all ! 2 January 2014 13:53 Blogger Phil Roberts said... Hong Kong managed to preserve its countryside, give an improving standard of living to its people all despite massive immigration No Democratic government of course..... Also No silly laws... No benefits for immigrants.. Just opportunity. I feel sorry for the British unskilled. It is a another nail in their coffin of them ever getting higher wages. Or even employed in the first place. Phil 2 January 2014 14:08 Blogger Happy Jack said... Happy Jack says this is a good article, Your Grace. These people from Europe are only doing what they are allowed to do and they should not be set upon because they want to improve their lives. Jack adds, the politicians do need to get their act together though and make sure all this is best for this country. People in Britain don't agree with what is happening and this disagreement is not good for the peace of the state. 2 January 2014 14:58 Blogger Avi Barzel said... No doubt the absolute limits of land are a factor, David H, but as you yourself recognize, there are other limits and I'm sure they are way, way more important. First, you're dismissing the price of energy for which there still is a great difference between Europe and North America in relative, income related and taxation level terms. Then, going back to the Middle Ages (and Rome too), you'll see that even with low populations and swaths of undeveloped land waiting to be settled, the towns and cities of Europe were dense, even in the middle of empty regions, all with small houses and narrow streets. Security and the need for expensive town walls and towers for hamlets and farms all pushed for high density. Then, the peculiarities of land ownership and distribution by Church and State, the free market towns, cloisters and monasteries...all of these favoured high density human settlement with strict social controls. But I still think the cost of energy, followed by the costs of transportation infrastructures and again security...think toll roads, bridges, fortifications like roundhouses and gatehouses... all these placed greater limits on the use of space than plain availability of square footage per person. And what you have now is the rmains, the detritus of history, a weird medieval continuum of the loss of commons, the serfdom, the land grabs by barons, the fences, hedges, clearances, division of fields, the growing control by guilds and the ever rising taxes. All this nicely segued into regulations upon regulations on the economy, stifling it, taking away what little freedom of movement and settlement there is, and all of this inflating real estate values and the cost of human movement. What's worse now, though, is that there is no more Eastward expansion into the forests of Germany or the plains of Poland, no colonial possibilities and no endless North American frontiers either, while the relentless East-to-West human drift, of which I have been a part of too, continues. Things will get nasty for all of us, I'm afraid. 2 January 2014 15:09 Blogger Johnny Rottenborough said... for Jesus loves them Jesus being dead and living the life of Riley in Heaven, he doesn’t have to live next door to them; or see his earnings held down, and his children struggle to find work, because of them. Any other supremely impractical observations to make, Your Grace? 2 January 2014 15:24 Blogger Marie1797 said... The fact is our little country cannot accommodate anymore people. We'll end up in a similar situation to that in Greece. It's all well and good giving Christian love to our new neighbours coming here, but when they are taking the bread out of our mouths and their culture causes mayhem and destruction as we experience yet another wave of crimes that our police force have to try and get to grips with alongside all the rest that we already have, no there is no love left! 2 January 2014 15:48 Blogger Avi Barzel said... Marie, I love the "proof of global warming" avatar image! 2 January 2014 16:06 Post a Comment << Home ‹Older His Grace's bit for simony ↑↓ About His Grace: Archbishop Cranmer takes as his inspiration the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby: ‘It’s interesting,’ he observes, ‘that nowadays politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to talk politics.’ It is the fusion of the two in public life, and the necessity for a wider understanding of their complex symbiosis, which leads His Grace to write on these very sensitive issues. He deeply appreciates all gifts and donations; indeed, without them, his light would dim, his steeple would fall to ruin, and his pulpit succumb to the worm that dieth not. If you have anything religio-political of interest, please email His Grace and he will consider your contribution. Cranmer's Law: "It hath been found by experience that no matter how decent, intelligent or thoughtful the reasoning of a conservative may be, as an argument with a liberal is advanced, the probability of being accused of ‘bigotry’, ‘hatred’ or ‘intolerance’ approaches 1 (100%).” Follow His Grace on Follow His_Grace on Twitter Subscribe to Cranmer's Daily Bread His Grace's honours and citations: ”Cranmer's nasty side has been his downfall" .. "Your crude misrepresentation of my views (not for the first time) means I stopped reading your blog." Tim Montgomerie, Opinion Editor, The Times (2013) ”..an aggressively Anglican Blogger." Neil Addison, Barrister at Law, Thomas More Legal Centre (2013) "..the ghastly Cranmer." Damian Thompson, Daily Telegraph Blogs Editor (2013) "Influential Christian blogger.." Pink News (2013) "Hilarious wishful thinking. Hilarious. Hopefully we will see lots more conversions of Anglicans to the Church under Francis I.. Absolutely nobody will write a ‘What the new AofC means to the Catholic Church’ piece.. Your entire piece (is) soup to nuts." Louise Mensch, former Conservative MP, in response to His Grace’s generous and reasoned post on the election of Pope Francis (2013) "The exchange between @His_Grace and @louiseMensch is beyond surreal. I'm not sure why @His_Grace a very humble man is bothering to reply!" Nadine Dorries MP (2013) "Archbishop Cranmer, the learned and witty blogger.." Nick Spencer, Theos (2012) "I do not often link to the page of a Protestant blog, but this time I really had to make an exception... It is worth your while to read the article in its entirety. Notwithstanding the disastrous title of the blog this chap would, methinks, make a good convert. He certainly has managed, in the midst of his error, not to lose sight of the basic tenets of Christianity. The rest of his contributions – I have perused the site a bit, I confess – is of high quality and an interesting mixture of religious and political comments. This is a rather known blog, and is obviously followed in political circles. Let us hope that “Cranmer”‘s activity gives a contribution in exposing the purest example of Pharisaism of our time." Mundabor, Mundabor's Blog: Catholicism without Compromise (2012) "The inimitable Cranmer.." Dr Peter Saunders, Christian Medical Comment (2012) "Yet no one — except for the brilliant blogger Archbishop Cranmer – seems to have noticed.." Cristina Odone, Daily Telegraph columnist and a former editor of the Catholic Herald (2012) From the Acknowledgments in Katharine Birbalsingh's 2011 book 'To Miss With Love': "Archbishop Cranmer has written a fantastic blog post today.." Toby Young, The Telegraph (2011) "The blogger Archbishop Cranmer has done some excellent work.." 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The Staggers (NewStatesman) on voting His Grace the 7th-best Christian blogger in the world (2011) "Of course, in my day local Conservative Associations were autonomous bodies over which I did not have control, whereas today they are more like branches of the central Party, a point well made by Cranmer." Lord Tebbit (2011) "Mouse loves Archbishop Cranmer... As usual, His Grace doesn’t appear (on the Wikio Religion & Belief blog rankings)... but his meteoric rise up the Political rankings (up to 11th this month) means he would surely claim top spot if he did." The Church Mouse (2011) "Archbishop Cranmer contribute(s) to maintaining a culture in the Church of England which is deeply compromised and allows dishonesty and abuse to infect the life of the Church… The problem lies with people like (him) and groups like Anglican Mainstream whose campaign...poisons the culture of our Church." Rev'd Colin Coward, Changing Attitude (2011) "As so often where such matters are concerned, the worthy Archbishop sounds the drum for High Church Tories." David Blackburn Spectator Coffee House (2011) "If you have never heard of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, I'll forgive you, as His Grace has been dead for close to 500 years. But the fellow who writes a blog using the latter's name as a pseudonym is very much alive. And I would wager he is one of the wittiest conservative thinkers out there, whether in the UK or the USA." Rabbi Yehuda Hausman, The Musings of Rabbi Hausman (2011) "...the Archbishop Cranmer blog, a leading Church website." Jonathan Wynne-Jones Religious Affairs Correspondent, Sunday Telegraph (2011) "It would not be unexpected for blogger supreme Cranmer to begin a post with reference to the King James` Bible..." The Justice of the Peace Magistrate’s Blog (2011) "Cranmer never fails to provide stimulating analysis and a model of how to write with style." Rev Martin Downes, Against Heresies (2011) "Archbishop Cranmer surpassed himself today with a gracious and thoughtful piece about the Royal Wedding, to the point of being quoted on Sky TV." Charles Crawford Former British Ambassador to Poland (2011) "And conservative Anglican blogger 'Archbishop Cranmer' revs himself up to threat level barking Tolkien-esque nutsoid over the royal wedding, as he slathers over the coverage, types up his notes, and generally has an ecstatic, pant-wetting, metaphysical breakdown about Royalty and 'the inner being of the Church of England'." Humanist Life (2011) Cision, a global media intelligence provider, have ranked Cranmer No6 in the Top 10 UK Political Blogs. (2011) "Everything from opera to dubstep, from Shakespeare to science-fiction, has a place on (Night and Day's) pages. The weekly Spotify Sunday posts are, to my eyes and ears, a particular highlight – attracting contributors such as...blogosphere favourite Archbishop Cranmer." Peter Hoskin Spectator Coffee House (2011) "Cranmer is too much spot on in this whole argument. I think this is being ghost written by Burke." Dr Lee Rotherham Author and political adviser (2011) "...which the oddball right-wing blogger Archbishop Cranmer seems to have seized upon in his rambling blog post this morning... I find his inability to understand simple English astonishing..."; (and via Twitter): "You're really not very bright, are you?... You wouldn’t know what ‘substance' was if it hit you in the middle of your imaginary beard... Your arguments are remarkably fact-free... pathetic...idiotic..." Mehdi Hasan New Statesman (2011) "As Archbishop Cranmer defends the Church of England against its critics, (it raises) the question of why it needs a long dead prelate to defend it and why the existing ones aren't more 'out there' fighting the good fight in the battlefield of the blogosphere…" Ruth Gledhill The Times(£) (2011) "For the uninitiated, Archbishop Cranmer has been resurrected as a Conservative-leaning Blogger of some fame. I by no means agree with all this New Cranmer says... but he is right to challenge (the) allegation in the “Telegraph”: the C of E must be one of the least mean-spirited expressions of faith the world has seen. Orthodox Generosity is where we need to be." The Rt Rev David Thomson Bishop of Huntingdon, (2011) His Grace is deeply honoured to have been selected on ConservativeHome by Paul Goodman as his 'Blogger of 2010': "Writing well, thinking originally and breaking stories are essential to a widely-read blog. Cranmer... observes the world as sharply and as ever, getting first to the news of Katharine Birbalsingh's sacking, and digging out some gems from Hansard. ” Paul Goodman ConservativeHome (2011) Platform 10 is a blog of 'Modern liberal Conservatives - changing the way politics works in the UK'. They have named His Grace among the 'Blogosphere’s Best Thinking' Platform 10 (2010) “Doubtless David Cameron will soon speak up to condemn this farce, but until he does there’s always Cranmer.” National Review Online (2010) “His Grace is of course unlike any other and had he been alive today, the situation would have been very different.” Nadine Dorries MP (2010) "I have reflected...You were right, and I was wrong. So now I shall be silent, unless and until I have something of real value to say." Melanchthon ConservativeHome (2010) "Add the more restrained and mellifluous voices such as Cranmer and we have a considerable reach, all the more influential because...we actually know what we're talking about. At times of deep depression, which is increasingly common, we need to remind ourselves that we are having an impact. The moronic tendency is not having it all its own way. As long as there are Cranmers in this world...then things aren't all bad. We still have to suffer the fools, but we no longer have to suffer them in silence." Dr Richard North EU Referendum (2010) Cranmer is delighted and honoured to have been voted in at #11 in the Total Politics 'Top 20 Conservative Blogs', not least because he has been somewhat trappist for a quarter of the year, for which he apologises profusely. "What is your reading material of choice? Non-fiction books. FT, Telegraph, Times, Economist, Spectator, MoneyWeek, Private Eye, ConHome, Cranmer (when he is up and about), Douglas Carswell, mises.org and, of course, the Bucks Free Press." Steve Baker MP (2010) "Cranmer...is very nasty indeed." Dr Richard Dawkins, Emeritus Fellow of New College, Oxford, Clear-Thinking Oasis (2010) Cision Global Media Intelligence have ranked Cranmer No17 in the Top 50 UK blogs ‘of online influence’. (2010) Cranmer is honoured to have been voted #12 in the UK's 'Top 300 Political Blogs'. “Archbishop Cranmer is a blog I’ve been reading more and more recently. His Grace is not only a very good writer but more importantly, he does what good bloggers should do: he challenges his readers. There aren’t too many political bloggers out there who adopt an overtly Christian perspective, and His Grace does it with style and conviction. He’s often wrong, of course, but that doesn’t disqualify him from the honoured position he’s just attained on this site. In fact what made my mind up to include him was his brilliant post on Baby P. Whenever I’ve written about the subject I’ve allowed my emotions to get the better of me (not always a bad thing, incidentally). But THIS by Cranmer wins my vote for the best blogpost written by anyone since the awful saga began.” Tom Harris MP, (2009) "I am writing to you because you should know that you have had quite an influence on my thinking. You have made me appreciate Conservative thinking. I had always believed right-wingers to be evil, selfish, and mean individuals. You, however, are Conservative and delightful. I will indeed be voting Conservative in the next election – your influence in particular has led me down the path of taking an interest in what the Right has to say." Miss Snuffy To Miss With Love, (2009) Cranmer is more humbled and further honoured to have been voted in once again at #6 in the Total Politics 'Top 100 Conservative Blogs' and in at #9 (up three places) in the 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs' as voted for by 1,500 discerning blog readers. He thanks his readers and erudite communicants for their continuing loyal support. (2009) “There’s nothing wrong in promoting your own party to those of your own faith… Cranmer’s argument, naturally, is slightly more sophisticated.” Tom Harris MP, (2009) "I turned not to the Telegraph but to Cranmer for a genuinely perceptive, intelligent Conservative take." The Rt Revd Dr Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham, (2009) "Archbishop Cranmer is one of the best blogs around for discussion of religion and politics... It's on the conservative end of things, but I'll forgive him that. Always a good read." The Rev'd Dr Maggi Dawn Chaplain and Fellow, Robinson College, Cambridge University, and Online, (2009) "And His Grace, with his customary acuity, gets to the heart of a political conceit." (2009) "...one of my favourite blogs... His Grace provides an original and amusing take on the topics of the day. If you've not read him yourself, I recommend him." Douglas Carswell MP, (2009) As a Muslim is appointed as the BBC’s Head of Religion, "Archbishop Cranmer has it about right." Ruth Gledhill The Times, (2009) "...if you want to see why, despite everything I have written, I have a very soft spot for the C of E, it is because of men like Cranmer (...he of the blog). Read what he writes. You will not find a more balanced, sensitive, and open Christian view of the world than his. And when the Talmud talks about the Pious of the Nations having a place in the World to Come, I reckon he'll be right up there with the other least expected candidates for our version of sainthood." Rabbi Jeremy Rosen Jeremy Rosen's Blog and Online, (2009) "Surely anyone fair-minded will agree with Archbishop Cranmer, who usually pitches around the phlegmatic end of the Conservative blogosphere." The Bishop of Buckingham Bishop Alan's Blog, (2009) "I've just read what must be the creepiest blog post of the year. It comes from ‘Cranmer’... not for the first time, I find myself asking: what is wrong with this man?... Incredibly, some conservative Catholics actually suck up to him, out of fogeyish solidarity." Damian Thompson, Holy Smoke, (2009) The White House under President Obama has placed Cranmer on its media Mailing List. While this may be a dubious honour, it is more than President Bush ever did. (2009) "His Grace is fluent and erudite and always entertaining whether or not you agree with some of his more dogmatic meanderings. There's no doubt he deserves a column on the Catholic Herald!" Iain Dale, on rating Cranmer one of the 'Ten Best Written Political Blogs' (2009) "Cranmer was one of the first big Tory bloggers out of the blocks with the story…" Mick Fealty, Slugger O'Toole, (2008) Cranmer is humbled and honoured to have been voted in at #6 in the Total Politics 'Top 100 Conservative Blogs'. He is also pleased to have been voted #14 in the 'Top 100 UK Political Blogs', and #12 in the 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs' as voted for by 1,140 blog readers. He thanks his readers and communicants for their loyal support. (2008) "L’excellent blogueur sur la religion Cranmer..." Mali Ilse Paquin, Cyberpresse, Montréal, (2008) Cranmer has once again won the Witanagemot award for ‘Best Blog dealing with Religious Matters’. (2008) "Perhaps I might even, in due course, seek absolution from the shade of Archbishop Cranmer, to whose erudite blog I turn every morning with a sense of pleasant anticipation... undoubtedly (one of) the two best God-bothering blogs in Britain: always original, acerbic and entertaining." Daniel Hannan MEP The Telegraph, (2008) "I looked around the Internet for a few luxurious minutes and vastly enjoyed Cranmer’s Blog…which I intend to read more regularly in future." Joanna Bogle, Catholic journalist and author, (2008) Cranmer is humbled and honoured to have been ranked #1 in the 'Top 10 Religious Blogs' in the UK, and even moreso to be placed at #6 in the UK's 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs', and #13 in the 'Top 500 Political Blogs' in Iain Dale's Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. (2007) "Splendidly splenetic." Libby Purves, The Times (2007) Cranmer has won the Witanagemot award for ‘Best Blog dealing with Religious Matters’. (2007) has named Cranmer among the UK's 'Top 30 Most Influential Religion Blogs'. (2007) "His Grace investigates...with moral seriousness and intellectual rigour, bringing some refreshing common sense to some of the touchiest subjects in British politics." ConservativeHome (2007) "For sheer intelligence, erudition and fun, Iain Dale's Diary, Cranmer and Devil's Kitchen are so far ahead of the rest I don't see how they can figure in a top ten. They are the Beatles, Stones and Who of the blog world; the Astair, Bogart and Marlon Brando of the blog world; the Gerswin, Porter and Novello of the blog world; the Dot Cotton, Pat Butcher, Bette Lynch of the blog world..." Wrinkled Weasel (2007) "I take advice in matters spiritual and religious from the ghost of Archbishop Cranmer... His blog is a role model for niche blogs of all descriptions. Thoughtful, erudite and provocative." Iain Dale, on ranking Cranmer #8 in the Top 100 Conservative blogs (2006) "Boring and bigoted." Guido Fawkes (2006) The cost of His Grace's conviction: His Grace's bottom line: Freedom of speech must be tolerated, and everyone living in the United Kingdom must accept that they may be insulted about their own beliefs, or indeed be offended, and that is something which they must simply endure, not least because some suffer fates far worse. Comments on articles are therefore unmoderated, but do not necessarily reflect the views of Cranmer. Comments that are off-topic, gratuitously offensive, libelous, or otherwise irritating, may be summarily deleted. However, the fact that particular comments remain on any thread does not constitute their endorsement by Cranmer; it may simply be that he considers them to be intelligent and erudite contributions to religio-political discourse...or not. Cranmer's Conservative Creed I believe in one Party, Preserver of all that is good in our Constitution, And of Individual Freedom, Limited Government, National Defence and the Rule of Law: And in one Party Leader, the only-begotten of the entire Membership, Chosen democratically by the whole Party, Centre-Forward, Darling of Conference, Pre-eminent Parliamentarian of Parliament, Elected, not appointed, Being of one philosophy with the Party, By whom Conservatism is articulated and maintained; Who for us Members, and for our earthly salvation came down from CCHQ, And was invited by Her Majesty to form a Government, And was made Prime Minister, And was vilified also for us under the BBC. He was airbrushed and scorned, And day after day he shrugs it off because that’s his job, And steps up to the Dispatch Box, And sitteth on the right hand of the Speaker. And he shall come again with a larger majority to annihilate the Socialists and the Liberals: And his Government shall have no end. And I believe in the Voluntary Party, The giver of life to the Parliamentary Party, Which precedeth the Party and the Leader, Which with the Party and the Leader together should be acknowledged and appreciated, Because they do all the donkey work. And I believe in one Conservatism, though it be severally termed 'One-Nation', 'Compassionate' and 'Progressive'. I acknowledge one Membership for the right to select candidates. And I look for victory at the General Election, And for the realisation of the policies to come. Amen. The Anglican Communion has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning. Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1945-1961 British Conservatism's greatest: The epithet of 'great' can be applied only to those who were defining leaders who successfully articulated and embodied the Conservatism of their age. They combined in their personal styles, priorities and policies, as Edmund Burke would say, 'a disposition to preserve' with an 'ability to improve'. I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end good will triumph. Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS. (Prime Minister 1979-1990) We have not overthrown the divine right of kings to fall down for the divine right of experts. Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC. (Prime Minister 1957-1963) Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Sir Winston Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can). (Prime Minister 1940-1945, 1951-1955) I am not struck so much by the diversity of testimony as by the many-sidedness of truth. Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC. (Prime Minister 1923-1924, 1924-1929, 1935-1937) If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome; if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent; if you believe the military, nothing is safe. Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC. (Prime Minister 1885-1886, 1886-1892, 1895-1902) I am a Conservative to preserve all that is good in our constitution, a Radical to remove all that is bad. I seek to preserve property and to respect order, and I equally decry the appeal to the passions of the many or the prejudices of the few. Benjamin Disraeli KG, PC, FRS, Earl of Beaconsfield. (Prime Minister 1868, 1874-1880) Public opinion is a compound of folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy, and newspaper paragraphs. Sir Robert Peel, Bt. (Prime Minister 1834-1835, 1841-1846) I consider the right of election as a public trust, granted not for the benefit of the individual, but for the public good. Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool. (Prime Minister 1812-1827) Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. The Rt Hon. William Pitt, the Younger. (Prime Minister 1783-1801, 1804-1806) His Grace's blog agape (which isn't entirely unconditional): A Wandering Pilgrim Autonomous Mind BBC Will & Testament Bel is Thinking Bovis A conservative blog for uncertain times Corporate Presenter Cranmer's Curate Curly's Corner Shop Daily Referendum Daily Kos Didactophobia God and Politics in the UK Heresy Corner John Redwood's Diary Jubilee Centre Marmalade Sandwich Nadine Dorries MP Nick Baines's Blog - Musings of a Restless Bishop PoliticalBetting Samira Ahmed The Bovina Bloviator The Corner on National Review The Freedom Association The Ugley Vicar UK Commentators Will & Testament Witterings from Witney statistics and data: Highest recorded Absolute* Unique Visitors: Day: 9,570 (Wed 5 Dec 12) Week: 37,080 (2-8 Dec 12) Month: 117,180 (May 12) Year: 1,455,236 page views by 489,930 visitors (2012) *Google Analytics Powered by Blogger Locations of visitors to this page Site Meter British Blog Directory. eXTReMe Tracker Religion Blogs Archives: April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014

It is the sort of love that Christians might show those foreigners who have chosen to dwell among us, for they do so perfectly legally.

It may be "irresponsible to open the door unconditionally", but it is open. You may wish it were otherwise, but it is not. You can pretend that it is, and scoff and scorn at the flood of thieves, tramps and benefit scroungers, or you can meet one or two, talk to them, and discover their hopes and dreams. For they live with bread, like you; feel want, taste grief, and need friends.

They are equal to us: they have the same human rights, and are worthy of dignity and respect. You may disagree that such migrants are essential to economic recovery, but they are here nonetheless. You may object to them having access to higher wages and tax credits, but they are here. You can argue about national sovereignty or the ethics of immigration and cultural identity. But they are here. You can moan about overcrowded schools, the inability to get a doctor's appointment or see a dentist. But they are here. To be embittered about their presence is self-destructive and futile, for they are here. To spit at them or despise them is a profoundly un-Christian discrimination, for Jesus loves them and they are our neighbour.

So, as they try to live among us and scratch out a living from a cold bedsit, treat them as you would your friends: be kind, courteous and considerate. For they have come here to seek a better life for themselves. You may wish it were otherwise, but EU accession has manifestly done nothing for them in their own impoverished towns and jobless villages, and so they are here among us. And you and your neighbour are equal partners within a universe which has its origin and end in God. To love them is the highest good; to disdain them a tyranny. Their welfare and liberty, or their misery and enslavement, are in your hands. Do not view them as objects of corruption or parasitical need, for they are your fellow man, and to withhold your neighbour-love is to deny their value and significance and negate your love for God. They are in a foreign land, but so are you, for our citizenship is in heaven.

“

Friday, 27 December 2013

Christians being persecuted

With one exception, Christians throughout the countries of the Middle East are at risk or on the run, their churches burned, their property expropriated, their personal safety in peril from thugs intent on beatings, rapes, and murders.

The one exception -- where Christians flee to rather than from, where they increase rather than decrease in numbers -- is Israel.

A century ago, the Middle East was about 20 per cent Christian. Today, following waves of persecutions, the proportion is 4 per cent and falling. Some fear that the Middle East -- the very birthplace of Christianity -- may soon be all but emptied of Christians.

Gaza, for example, is continuing to lose its few remaining Christians -- 3,000 of them all told, or about one-sixth of 1 per cent of the total population -- amid anti-Christian violence and an Islamist government that increasingly limits Christian institutions.

In Israel, the history of decline is reversed. The Christian community of 34,000 at the time the modern state of Israel was created in 1948 has more than quadrupled to 158,000. Part of that quadrupling stems from a natural population increase -- the Christian fertility rate modestly exceeds the 2.1 children per woman required to maintain a population. Most of it stems from Christian immigration into Israel, often following upheavals in neighboring countries or far-flung parts of the world.

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Archbishop pays tribute to Nelson Mandela

The Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon at the Nelson Mandela Memorial, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, London and Christ the King Church, Sophiatown, 8 December 2013

Readings: Exodus 14, Matthew 18:21 ff
Great injustice is overcome only by great courage. Evil can never be placated, it must be defeated: that means struggle, and struggles demand courage.

Nelson Mandela showed his courage by his determination in the face of evil and by his humanity in the experience of victory. What is more, such courage and humanity were learned and demonstrated in the mists of conflict and suffering. He was that rarest of leaders, those who learn from terrible events so as to exhaust all their lessons, rather than being shaped by them into bitterness and hatred.

Our first reading was the story of the Israelites escaping the oppression of Egypt. It is a story of liberation. God made it possible for Israel to escape. He rescued them when all was lost, and he defeated their enemies, so that the oppressors were destroyed.

Throughout history, this story has been one to which those who are suffering oppression have turned. It is hard to remember today the full evil of apartheid. Nelson Mandela recalled how at school, and in every part of his life, he felt its injustice. Oppression was his life, and those of the vast majority of the people of South Africa.

Not everyone responds to such treatment with resistance. Many of us would have kept our heads down, made what we could of life, looked after those close to us, and closed our eyes to what was happening. We would have said to ourselves, "Life is tough enough, do not make it worse by swimming against the tide".

But Mandela had courage that showed itself in leadership. He stood out, resisted, and fought. He faced the insult of being labelled a terrorist for fighting for his own people, the absurdity of trial for treason against an utterly wicked regime. At the height of the Cold War, with South Africa seen by many as a dependable ally protecting the seas around the Cape of Good Hope, he had little overseas support. One of the great pressures of conflict is loneliness: he faced solitude and isolation and continued the struggle.

Resisting evil is a call of God. Christians disagree about whether force is justifiable, but are at one that resistance is essential. Easy to say, how hard to act! More than that, the act of resistance opens our souls to harm. In fighting hatred, we risk becoming what we resist. History is full, especially in the 20th century, of evil overthrown - to be replaced by worse.

Archbishop Tutu commented, "I often surprise people when I say this. Suffering can lead to bitterness. But suffering is also the infallible test of the openness of a leader, of their selflessness. When Mandela had gone to jail, he had been one of the most angry. The suffering of those 27 years helped to purify him and grow the magnanimity that would become his hallmark. Jail helped Mandela learn how to make enemies into friends. It also gave him an unassailable credibility. When you speak of forgiveness, 27 years in prison sets you up very nicely.”

"27 years in prison sets you up very nicely" - only someone like Tutu has the right to say that, because he took the same risks. 27 years, add it to your age, think about what you would be like at the end. 27 years of hard labour, pointless oppression, petty insults. Yet in that school of hatred he learned to treasure the ideal of a just nation. That is a second aspect of his uniqueness. His courage was undefeated, indomitable, extraordinary. His capacity to go on becoming more human was breath-taking. His guards grew to respect and even love him. One called him a father figure, whose absence was a bereavement. Robben Island was defeated by someone who could take everything it threw at him, and by melting courage into forgiveness, create the gold of reconciliation.

In the Exodus story God brings freedom, but the Israelites have to struggle and trust. So it is with us. Jesus Christ gives us freedom. We must take it and struggle for it and stand for it, as did Nelson Mandela. And yet there is more.

Peter, in the reading from St Matthew, is looking for a natural limit to forgiveness. Jesus' answer says there is no limit. Don't do the arithmetic, learn the point. We are called to forgive forever. Few manage it. Nelson Mandela was one of the few. He did not merely call for resistance, he led it. He did not merely demonstrate and call for forgiveness, he put in place a constitution and governing system that faced evil and defeated it with truth and reconciliation. Leadership is not seen merely in policy, but making policy practice. It is what Jesus calls his followers to do along with him.

And there lies the challenge. Where do we find those who carry on his work? Pray for South Africa as it mourns. Ask God for every nation to have leaders who are full of courage and resist evil, who learn from suffering, who turn that learning into love and make both into reality. And thank God for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's amazing grace.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon at the Nelson Mandela Memorial, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, London and Christ the King Church, Sophiatown, 8 December 2013

Readings: Exodus 14, Matthew 18:21 ff
Great injustice is overcome only by great courage. Evil can never be placated, it must be defeated: that means struggle, and struggles demand courage.

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- See more at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/5203/archbishop-pays-tribute-to-mandela#sthash.U7Qo2QHf.dpuf

Friday, 6 December 2013

St Nicholas

Today is the day we celebrate the life and kindnesses of St Nicholas of Myrna (now in modern day Turkey)
Oh St Nicholas........ Chriss Kringle, Santa Claus how did you ever become
FATHER CHRISTMAS?

Sunday, 24 November 2013

What a sad sign

Who would possibly grab Hamish by the horns?
Only a Barbarian - I think he's beautiful.

Saturday, 23 November 2013

C.S.Lewis

50 years this week since the death of C.S. Lewis.

'I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen:
not only because I see it,
but because by it I see everything else.'
RIP