‽istis reclaims tears (weekending October 31st 2020)
The sadness expressed in the announcement of the
death of ‘our dear friend and colleague’, Doorkins Magnificat[i], may have led to actual tears
for the passing of a cat… Or perhaps this much-loved resident of Southwark
Cathedral continued (post mortem) to be a symbolic route for what may be so difficult
to express...? Perhaps meaning has been attributed to this feline life possibly
enabling important messages to be given both to and by the ‘Church of England’ (at
a time of utterly, utterly appalling revelations in the recent report from the
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse[ii]):
·
allow anyone to come in and find a place – to be
fed and loved, to find safety and sanctuary
·
accept and let everyone (and every animal) be who
they are (but do not be naïve; protect the vulnerable; remember that cats can
be mousers too)
·
think about how more than a cat could make these ‘sacred
places’ softer and gentler and accessible
·
value all your companions in your specific place
and on your journey
…‽istis marvels
that, maybe, it sometimes takes the life and death of a cat to discover,
re-discover or affirm these messages after c. 2000 of Christianity.
‽istis, however, was
somewhat surprised today genuinely to shed real tears at a stumbled-upon local
community version of ‘The Blessing’[iii] - with Makaton signing (NB: other ‘Lords’,
other-gendered/non-gendered deities and divinities, and other faiths are apparently
available - as are many, many versions from across the world of this worship
song). Oh, what must it be like to really believe and have faith that an omnipresent,
omniscient and utterly benevolent presence might indeed be with us and for us -
and our children and their children? And what evidence could we reasonably expect
in order to be able to lose finally the words ‘belief’ and ‘faith’…?
But, mostly, ‽istis
thinks this week of those who weep:
‽ for all loved-ones (as
All Hallows’ Eve precedes All Saints’ day), desperately ill and dying with this
resurgent and apparently systemically overwhelming virus
‽ for all loved ones (as
All Hallows’ Eve precedes All Saints’ day), desperately ill and dying of the ‘everyday’
conditions – physical and mental, social and structural - that have not gone
away but that may be hidden further from response and treatment
‽ because their children
are joining the numbers of the many, many children across the world who just do
not have enough to eat[iv]
‽ because four members of a
family have died: Shiva Mohammad Panahi and Rasul Iran Nezhad, drowned along
with their children Anita and Armin – and whose 15-month old toddler is missing[v]. Irrespective of your
politics; irrespective of your views on people who we call migrants, immigrants
or refugees; irrespective of your thoughts on who might be responsible for the ‘push’
factors, or the reality or myth of the ‘pull’ factors; irrespective of your
view about the choices made by individuals desperate to try to find a way to
secure a future… surely, we weep…
And in all these tears (with
all their reasons) perhaps, possibly, maybe a better world might be reflected…
© Pistis
NB: further reflections and comments linked to this
week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily
indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’:
@Pistis_wonders
Please do consider following on Twitter and engaging or commenting positively whether you agree or disagree!
