One thing after another

There’s a great line in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys when one character, Rudge, defines history as “just one f…ing thing after another”. This week feels similar to me: women bishops is followed by Leveson which is followed by the Chancellor’s out-of-touch-with-most-people’s-reality Autumn Statement (more welfare cuts) which is followed by speculation about a triple-dip recession which is followed by gay marriage. Elsewhere, Egypt falls apart, Syria explodes, Mandela is ill and Belfast sees violence again.

Out and about this week in various communities and meeting a wide variety of people, most of these issues don’t even hit the radar of immediate concern. Of immediate concern, however, is how to cope with the numbers of broken people falling off society’s radar while churches and charities try to stop them falling even further. And then the charitable sector raises its voice to say that many of them are likely to fold soon. What happens then to the Big Society?

Well, I haven’t had time to put down all I would wish to; I have been out and about and one thing has followed another in quick succession. This coming week will see the House of Bishops meeting in London and on Tuesday the 2011 Census data will be published.

So, I limit myself today to three recommendations aimed at bringing a different perspective to the season.

Jonathan Veira’s Christmas album of a couple of years ago – O Holy Night – is one of the best (and least cheesy) musical celebrations of Christmas. Unbelievably powerful voice and great arrangements of familiar songs and carols. Apart from Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas and a pile of Bach or Mozart, Veira gets the repeat listens from me. (And his book is a good read, too.)

I got into big trouble a couple of years ago when I published a short book about Christmas. I apparently dissed Christmas carols – but I was far more subtle than that. Anyway, the fuss also did for the book! It is still available and offers an approach to Christmas aimed at ordinary people for whom the whole business has lost its power (or plot). I still think it is quite a good little book and an accessible read – it is called Why Wish You a Merry Christmas?

Looking ahead: Ben Quash, Professor of Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London (and soon to be Honorary Canon Theologian of Bradford Cathedral), has written the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2013. I have only dipped into it, but Abiding looks as excellent as one might expect from an interesting writer and theologian.

Now off to another ‘event’…

 

Mad world

Time is tight these days – something to do with working Croydon/Southwark while turning attention to our move to Bradford in a few months time. But, I was going to write something this evening to pick up on comments about last couple of blog posts and now it seems a bit less urgent. I got home from seeing a long-time friend and opera singer Jonathan Veira (great venue, great live jazz, great food and great company) only to find

• Roy Hodgson has left Liverpool by mutual consent, allowing Kenny Dalglish to take up the reins for the rest of the season;
• A young US Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, has been shot (along with others) at an event in Arizona – prompting Sarah Palin‘s people to (a) pull down her website appeal for action against opponents like Giffords and (b) delete her ‘Don’t retreat, reload’ tweets from Twitter.

The departure of yet another football manager isn’t too much of a surprise, but Roy Hodgson is a decent, honest and generous man and he goes with credit for this. I think his position was untenable in terms of confidence and I am (for the first time this season) excited about the passion King Kenny might be able to bring to the Liverpool squad. But Hodgson will get another position soon and even his opponents in Liverpool will wish him well.

But, this is trivial stuff in the face of yet another shooting in the USA. People who live by the gun will probably die by the gun. It is just hard to see from this side of the Atlantic why some people on the other side of the Atlantic can’t see any connection between an obsession with gun ownership and the number of gun crimes on their land. And if the American Right are so convinced of their rightness in this respect, why take down embarrassing websites or tweets? Words are powerful and violence starts not with a finger on a trigger, but with an idea in the mind, given shape by words.

Later I’ll write what I was going to write. In the meantime, the mad world continues to spin.

 

Away in a manger…

I popped into a shopping centre to meet a friend for lunch this afternoon and was met by a choir singing Away in a manger. Bang on cue. I had to smile.

A friend called this evening to say he has just recorded a CD of Christmas Carols – he suggested we double up and sell my book with his CD. I suggested that every time he performs Away in a manger he should dedicate it to the Bishop of Croydon.

Then I came home and was pointed to the following headlines:

• Nativity play costs ‘sent soaring’ (BBC)
• O come all ye loaded (Sun)
• Has ‘manger chic’ taken over your nativity play? (Guardian)
• Competitive Britons send nativity costs soaring (Reuters)

Is it just my imagination or are the same journalists who derided me missing a link here?

Anyway, I’m off to listen to Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas album.