Giles Goddard / 29 June 2010
There is a sculpture in St Paul’s Cathedral at the moment. Sr Lucie and I went this afternoon to see it this afternoon. After we’d been spared the £12.50 admission charge we found our way round the corner to one of the side aisles; and there was a small exhibition about the church’s work in Angola and Mozambique.
The sculpture is about 3 ft high; it’s called Music Man. It’s of a man playing a xylophone. It’s made out of dark metal - steel - and at first glance when you look at it you think it’s unexceptional. But then you look closer, and you realise that his legs and arms are made of gun barrels. His eyes are nuts taken off armour. His hair, long curly ringlets, is springs from a machine gun. And the whole of the instrument he’s playing is made up of pieces of weapons.
The sculpture belongs to somebody named Sheenagh Burrell; and she received it in memory of her son. It was made, in Mozambique, by a man named Kester who lost his brother in the civil war. They were both musicians.
It is part of the Swords into Ploughshares initiative which was begun by Bishop Dinis Sengulane after the Mozambique peace was agreed – partly brought into being, coincidentally, by the Sant’Egidio Community I have talked about many times. People were asked to bring in their weapons; in return they received ploughs and seeds and help in growing food. And the weapons, in the end, were turned into astonishing sculptures of which this is one and the famous Tree of Life in the Africa Gallery of the BM is another.
And I am thrilled that we may be able to borrow the sculpture for our Festival next summer on war and its consequences.
Today’s reading concludes with the words “Jesus said to him “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” It seems heaven sent that I went to see the sculpture this afternoon, as I was reflecting on that powerful reading; leave the dead to bury their dead. And on Thomas’ address from a couple of weeks ago – which was, partly, about mindfulness, about presence, about living in the now.
Through this type of training research has shown that the right brain hemisphere is activated. The right brain wishes to connect with everyone and everything in the immediate environment and only lives in the present moment, it has no concept of past or future. It relies on the universe to guide the way and has little to no own will.
The reading today is all about living in the now; living in the present; taking action; bringing transformation. As the Sant’Egidio community and then Bishop Sengulane did in Mozambique. And as we are called to do, here, in London, now. Through prayer, and action for justice. As I mentioned last week
FOR EXAMPLE - some people have suggested the following
1 Having a Rule of Life, as individuals, which we could work out for ourselves separately but could cover headings like work, enjoyment, worship, care for others, prayer, justice....
2 Affiliating with the London Citizens network which is working at the moment on a Living Wage campaign (calling for the low paid to receive a living wage which is about £7.50 an hour instead of the minimum wage which is about £5.60 - and on the Strangers into Citizens campaign to help those who have been here for many years but don't have legal status
3 Visiting lonely elders in hospital, perhaps working with Thomas on his ward in St Thomas' hospital or more likely with Southwark Churches Care.
4 Supporting a project overseas such as the Bethany orphanage mentioned by Jonathan
These all seem possible - and are there any other ideas of things we might think about doing?
There is a Steering Committee meeting after this, so if you do have ideas, please speak to one of the members of the Committee – Paula, Steve, Neil, Philip, Pam, Georgie, me.
But above all remember the image of Music Man; the transformation of an instrument of death into something of life; of despair into hope; of swords into ploughshares - which returns us to the book of the prophet Isaiah
God shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not life up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war, any more.
The sculpture is about 3 ft high; it’s called Music Man. It’s of a man playing a xylophone. It’s made out of dark metal - steel - and at first glance when you look at it you think it’s unexceptional. But then you look closer, and you realise that his legs and arms are made of gun barrels. His eyes are nuts taken off armour. His hair, long curly ringlets, is springs from a machine gun. And the whole of the instrument he’s playing is made up of pieces of weapons.
The sculpture belongs to somebody named Sheenagh Burrell; and she received it in memory of her son. It was made, in Mozambique, by a man named Kester who lost his brother in the civil war. They were both musicians.
It is part of the Swords into Ploughshares initiative which was begun by Bishop Dinis Sengulane after the Mozambique peace was agreed – partly brought into being, coincidentally, by the Sant’Egidio Community I have talked about many times. People were asked to bring in their weapons; in return they received ploughs and seeds and help in growing food. And the weapons, in the end, were turned into astonishing sculptures of which this is one and the famous Tree of Life in the Africa Gallery of the BM is another.
And I am thrilled that we may be able to borrow the sculpture for our Festival next summer on war and its consequences.
Today’s reading concludes with the words “Jesus said to him “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” It seems heaven sent that I went to see the sculpture this afternoon, as I was reflecting on that powerful reading; leave the dead to bury their dead. And on Thomas’ address from a couple of weeks ago – which was, partly, about mindfulness, about presence, about living in the now.
Through this type of training research has shown that the right brain hemisphere is activated. The right brain wishes to connect with everyone and everything in the immediate environment and only lives in the present moment, it has no concept of past or future. It relies on the universe to guide the way and has little to no own will.
The reading today is all about living in the now; living in the present; taking action; bringing transformation. As the Sant’Egidio community and then Bishop Sengulane did in Mozambique. And as we are called to do, here, in London, now. Through prayer, and action for justice. As I mentioned last week
FOR EXAMPLE - some people have suggested the following
1 Having a Rule of Life, as individuals, which we could work out for ourselves separately but could cover headings like work, enjoyment, worship, care for others, prayer, justice....
2 Affiliating with the London Citizens network which is working at the moment on a Living Wage campaign (calling for the low paid to receive a living wage which is about £7.50 an hour instead of the minimum wage which is about £5.60 - and on the Strangers into Citizens campaign to help those who have been here for many years but don't have legal status
3 Visiting lonely elders in hospital, perhaps working with Thomas on his ward in St Thomas' hospital or more likely with Southwark Churches Care.
4 Supporting a project overseas such as the Bethany orphanage mentioned by Jonathan
These all seem possible - and are there any other ideas of things we might think about doing?
There is a Steering Committee meeting after this, so if you do have ideas, please speak to one of the members of the Committee – Paula, Steve, Neil, Philip, Pam, Georgie, me.
But above all remember the image of Music Man; the transformation of an instrument of death into something of life; of despair into hope; of swords into ploughshares - which returns us to the book of the prophet Isaiah
God shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not life up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war, any more.
