“Unprecedented”, is the word that we have heard quite often during the past 11 months of 2020. Talking from many experiences - most of them embarrassing situations - when you learn a new language, paying attention to weight of the words is as important as the meaning of them. Normally, the main cause of the problem is some particular use of a word in different languages or better to say different cultures. As a foreigner who has been living in the UK for just about 5 years, I cannot brag about my expertise in English culture. In fact, it is more a first impression rather than deep knowledge and just as a probably very stereotypical impression I can say: “English people like to stick to their own traditional ways”. Whether my impression is right or not, I feel the word “unprecedented” is an extremely heavy word in this country. Nowadays, it is used for justifying almost any kind of failure in governance. Apparently because we have never seen this situation, failure is inevitable. I was born in the early years of a long war between Iran and Iraq and later in my life I saw another war (it is not so uncommon in the middle east), two big earthquakes, one coup, one big economic collapse, at least four uprising following by bloody suppressions, unwilling immigration and many other unprecedented things and still I am -or at least consider myself- a young person. So maybe what is unprecedented in a western country, for Iranians is the normality of life. For us, this word is usually used to address a great success or a big achievement. Noticing the different cultural weights of a simple word, make me think about our true understanding of events in different places and times; events which have been explained to us through the words which have been translated for us. How much of truth has been lost in translation? How much accuracy in translation is required to receive the true spirit of an event? And what is the accuracy of translation? Or more importantly, what is the truth? It is better to stop here. In one of the most significant moments of the history of Christianity, in spite of the presence of people with many different languages, interpretation did not seem to be a problem at all. Neither meaning nor cultural weight of the words made a problem at the day of Pentecost. Act 2 reminds me of my job in a powerplant where I had to communicate to people from very different countries. There was an engineer from Turkey who could not speak English and I could not speak Turkish but somehow, we managed to form a great professional relationship which eventually turned to a strong friendship. I suppose there was something more crucial than words which worked for us. In that particular case, it probably was both sides’ commitment to comply with technical specifications of the job. It is so easy to find differences. Even without misinterpretation of incidents or ignorance of cultural weight of the words, it is so easy to find our own personal reasons for hatred and bitterness; but I believe whenever a strong reason for reunion comes across, all of these seemingly legitimate reasons can be put aside; like the Pentecost day at which different weights and meanings of words were not important any more. An unprecedented time can be one of those strong reasons of reunion; spending time with our family members, taking care of vulnerable members of society, expressing our gratitude to NHS staffs and key workers, finding new ways to do our works and maybe reprioritizing our whole life were some of the precious experiences that we gained during the recent period of lock-down. Unprecedented times can be a gift to do unprecedented good and acquire unprecedented knowledge and wisdom. Sometimes we think there are not much to do to help the situation but during the corona time we realized even some small actions like wearing a mask or keeping two metres distance from others can work like a domino chain in community and improve the situation gradually. We learnt all of these little things because of the unprecedented conditions; no matter what the cultural weight of the word or geographic place of the incident is, in England, Iran, China or Brazil, same pattern of acting with social responsibility and considerate behavior works effectively and that is why the current difficult situation can be a cause of reunion and ignoring all of our cultural, religious, historical, economic and social contrasts for the sake of humanity. Canon Saro [Saro is a Lay Canon of the Liverpool Cathedral Chapter, and a member of the ‘Sepas’ Farsi-speaking congregation that meets here.] While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html.
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All Saints day, the 1st of November, is often seen as the beginning of a season of remembering. The Saints can sometimes be thought of as people who in the past have done great things and who have set examples of courage and Godly living. This is undoubtedly true although a quick look at the qualities necessary for Sainthood suggests there have been different standards for women and men! It seems that as a woman you had a better chance if you were a reformed prostitute or died protecting your virginity as did St Wilgefortis who prayed for deliverance on the night before her arranged marriage and woke up on her wedding day with a full beard! Consequently, she lost both her husband-to-be and her life. Some men got there by merely being reasonably good Bishops. However, it would be wrong I think, merely to consign the Saints to history. There is a story, told on more than one occasion in assemblies at St Margaret’s High School by the Reverend Ken Miller, school chaplain and undoubted saint, of a young girl going on a school trip visiting a Cathedral. The guide showing them around spent a great deal of time explaining about the significance of some fine stained glass windows. When she got home her mother asked her how the day had gone and what she had learned. “ We saw lots of interesting things”, said the girl “ but the best thing was, we learned about the Saints”. “What did you learn?” asked her Mother. “O it’s really great”, came the reply, “the Saints are the ones the light shines through”. I have met many people over the years in very different circumstances who have struck me as people through whom the light shone, Ken himself being one of them. They will be unsung but they will have made a difference to those round about them. They are in our midst now at a time when they are most needed and I thank God for them. Canon Bob While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day and the Feast of All Saints, is kept by the Anglican Communion, the Roman Catholic Church, and other Western Churches on November 1, and this year falls fittingly on a Sunday. All Saints’ Day is an occasion on which to call to mind, to celebrate, and to give thanks for all the Saints from Christian history, and to acknowledge our share in their heritage. The Gospel reading chosen for All Saints’ Day in the year when the Church follows Matthew’s Gospel in the opening verses of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These verses contain the famous beatitudes which have been translated in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible to begin as follows: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. This powerful recitation of ‘blessing’ inspires us to follow in the footsteps of the Saints and to share in their quality of life. In Matthew’s Gospel the beatitudes introduce the new law that inspires Christian discipleship, and catalogues the blessings on the new way of life empowered by God’s grace. The beatitudes are signposts in God’s kingdom. So to prepare for this Sunday’s service I invited those of you who want to do some thinking beforehand to focus on the image of signposts. In today’s picture from their book Signposts and Symbols Aled and Siân have been following the signs to the stone church. Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the cathedral or online at home, is candles. You can find out more about that theme here https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. We would really appreciate you letting us know how you are using these materials. Please send us your ideas and photos of the things you may create; email them to Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk. To read more about Aled and Siân in their book, Signs and Symbols, follow this link to the book on the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Our%20World%20Series/Signs%20and%20Symbols/Signs%20and%20Symbols%20Short%202016%20WEB.pdf. To explore more books in the Exploring Why series, follow this link also to the St. Mary’s Centre: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Our%20World.html. We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: Aled and Siân send their Sunday greetings to all. Canon Leslie |
supporting you during these uncertain times AuthorLiverpool Cathedral is a place of encounter. Built by the people, for the people, to the Glory of God Archives
September 2022
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Prayer for Liverpool
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Liverpool Cathedral is a place of encounter.
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