From the Corner of Bayswater & 5th
Volume 21
July 1st is Canada Day. The Canadians don’t parade their nationality arrogantly like their neigbours. Our American lecturer said he’d worn his red t-shirt to mark Canada Day but found that Canadians were gentle and quiet with their sense of patriotism. He added, and maybe didn’t mean it with the way it came out, “it is hard when you rule the world.” Immediately a few of us were on the case. An Australian girl shouted that they didn’t need to rule the world and I added that if we had any kind of democracy they wouldn’t! Happy Canada Day! Eh!
Anyway I’ve been made think about flags and national pride this weekend. There are many burdens of oppression that we from N. Ireland carry that we never see until we are in another situation. I watch Canadian flags been worn as t-shirts, used as towels and visible in all kinds of ways and there is no suspicion, it is not a divisive thing but a communal connection. I realise that I have never had such a thing. I am more likely to wear my Irishness but have to watch where I would wear it as it might offend, confuse or get me beaten up. What a way to be brought up. What a damaged little land I come from. How do I teach that to the girls?
Not that we haven’t been harking for the things of home. We had an exiles barbeque last week. Eight Irish and three Scots all gathered around the sacred sacrament of imported Galaxy! Ah… British chocolate. Thank you Cary! Cary also brought Q and Uncut and The Word magazine. Amazing to have such good press. We have the best press in the world and of course in the form of the tabloids the worst!
Vancouver roads are still freaking my head. They just don’t want you to turn left. Indeed between 3 and 6 on most roads you can’t! The use of filter is minimal and therefore about one car turns left every time there is a light change. And as you do the pedestrians have right of way so you can cause chaos with little bother. Just one day in their roads department and I could sort a few things out! What annoys me most is that it makes the Brits seem the best. That’s not easy to admit!
With 4 weeks left we are on the roll down hill and it is picking up speed. With all I have said about the roads we have no desire to leave the relaxation of here behind. We could stay another while! For us as a family it is just wonderful to get the time together. It has been so good to step off the madness of our world at home and get time out. We desire strongly to reconfigure home at some level. We had a few good days where we were on Jericho beach late into the evening enjoying the sea and stunning mountain views. Mind you it is lashing again today! They say it is the worst summer people can remember! Oh, just our luck! Still it got us 5 PIN BOWLING and in the first game Caitlin was great whereas in the second Jazz found her feet. Me, a comfortable win in the first game was ripped from my grasp when Cary scored 50 in the last two throws. I got revenge in the next game and in the very same way but 5 PIN is a trickier game altogether though the bowls are lighter which helps the girls.
I find myself with more people to meet and chat too. This is inspiring stuff. There is a unique little Irish group here. The Titmars, The Lynases and The Baxters would probably never get together at home but all with Regent connections they are enriched with their diversity and mutual respect. The arty alongside the theologian. It is a great wee group to hang with. From sermon construction to what post modernity might and might not be to how to exegete the “wives submit” passages in a modern context to how to communicate the truth in wider and more varied ways than the sermon these conversations have been very helpful. These people might be what we miss the most.
The writing had hit a stand still but we are making some progress again. I’ve preached 4 weeks in a row now. That has been good. I am learning to hone the preaching, add much more Biblical context but not lose my slant which is to contextualise in the culture. We have had many great talks about sermons and how they work and impact. It has added much to my understanding. These sermons have been a way to untangle some of the chapters in the book. On Sunday I was on the cross and looking at how we concentrate on the fact that Jesus was crucified and not that the things that got him crucified are the model of how we are supposed to live. Ricky Ross’s song Calvary has been helpful here. It is a song that is actually about Christmas and basically asks that we don’t go straight to the cross without investigating his life and teaching. This is not to diminish the cross but actually to open it up wider and for a deeper impact.
As to the post modern debate; I have been trying to avoid the word. It means a lot more explaining but the lazyness of the word and its possible confusions has me rethinking the nature of the world! In the book I am going to try and deal with the contemporary realities without using the word post-modern.
Been enjoying an album by a Canadian girl who goes by the name of Feist. Kind of a contemporary Everything But The Girl with nods back to the Sixties and even a few eras before that. Also enjoying the Coldplay album. Not sure yet about Billy Corgan and Ricky Ross has been back on the playlist.
Live 8. Well Cary and I finally found it on the net and watched the last few hours in London from there. We also got the Bruce Cockburn in Canada set which was fabulous – If I Had A Rocket Launcher, Call It Democracy and Waiting For a Miracle. It was the set that most dealt with the issues. Martin taped the first pile of hours so I have since seen U2 and reviewed it elsewhere. Thought they were right on the money. Wasn’t sure about the place of The Who or Pink Floyd though!
I have to say the internet is great at keeping up with Sport and news. In the News Letter web page today and saw some of my students Lynne Speirs and Lynsey Marks quoted in the G8 trip to Edinburgh report. Maybe I am doing something right back home. I was proud!
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