‽istis ponders headwear (weekending March 2nd 2024)
This weekending ‽istis
is pondering hats and headwear:
‽ the protection of a ‘skid lid’, ‘crash hat’ or motorbike
helmet as the next step is taken to ‘big bike’ riding – and as a ‘Hairy Biker’
is fondly remembered[i]
‽ the rakish angle of a fedora worn, fifties-style, by a dashing
Chief Inspector in ‘Father Brown’[ii]
– forever reliant on the wily ways of a priest: detecting crime, the state of a
soul, the good, the bad and more often perhaps those made ugly by circumstances; understanding
most things; exhorting the finding of forgiveness; detecting the readiness to
repent; seeking justice, truth and peace
for diverse people and a community
‽ the mitre of a Church of England Bishop and what lies beneath[iii]
– what they know; what they really think of safeguarding past, present and
future and the Jay report and its recommendations[iv],
of same-sex marriage and the Living in Love and Faith report, of politics and
the business of the House of Lords[v]; how they balance pastoring, finance matters and senior-management duties
‽ the over-extended peak of a cap worn by a possibly distracted
Formula 1 racing team boss[vi]
‽ the brand image hat of a newly elected MP that may or may not
grace the UK parliament, but is likely to bring a certain spiciness and challenge to the ‘mainstream’ political parties and possibly to politics more
widely[vii]
‽ the ’skull cap’ of a 6 nations rugby player, resting this
weekend[viii]
between matches
‽ the headscarf of a mother or grandmother, a daughter, a sister,
a spouse, a partner – cradling a child shot, a child crushed, a child utterly
traumatised, a child in terrible, terrible unrelieved pain
‽ the headcovering of a mother or grandmother, a daughter, a
sister, a spouse, a partner waiting news of a hostage child, a sibling, spouse, a partner, a parent
‽ the balaclava or scarf or hood of a terrorist/a
freedom-fighter (delete as you think fit)
‽ the helmet of a soldier offending or defending – new just issued, worn, intact, holed, blown off lying in rubble or mud
‽ the Tilley[ix]
hat of a dog-walker in the rain pondering all these things – safe, with
sufficient even abundance; ostensibly amongst the privileged and powerful; utterly
mystified at the ways of the world past and present, the absence of on earth as it may or may
not be in any heaven; uncertain about what to do that could make any sort of
difference at all – with the words of Desmond Tutu, read this week, ringing like
a call to alms and action: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you
have chosen the side of the oppressor”; assailed by disgust, discomfort and despair at the danger, the
harm, the insufficiency, the dearth and the death this week, this weekending,
right now…
NB:
further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on X/Twitter with replies, retweets (which don’t
necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’:
@Pistis_wonders.
X/Twitter ‘follows’ and
respectful comment and dialogue welcome...
[vi] https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-03-01/christian-horner-a-timeline-of-allegations-against-red-bull-racing-boss
