WEDNESDAY

Widecombe end of term and leavers’ service. Present leavers with Good News Bibles as is the custom, in the hope that one day they might be tempted to actually open them and discover that hidden between the stories of ancient customs, beliefs and experiences, there are some everlasting truths about human nature, our relationships with each other and the world, and more importantly the spiritual reality behind it all, commonly known as God. (That’s if their parents don’t object and flog it to the local second-hand bookshop.)

SATURDAY

No chance of a lie in this morning – too much to do to get ready for activity week in Holne, which starts on Monday. Theme this year is “The web of life”, taken from the Testament of Chief Seahtl, a response to the ‘Great White Chief in Washington’ who in 1854 declared the intent to ‘buy’ most of the land inhabited by the Native Americans. The Testament is a profound reflection on our relationship with the earth, and the dangers of abusing that relationship. “We did not weave the web of life, we are only strands within it – whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” Husband is unusually tolerant as string, cardboard, beads, paint, weaving frames and junk-that-might-come-in-useful start to pile up all over the floor in every room. Doesn’t even complain too much when I buy picture of red Indians at Ashburton fete, although there are faint mutterings of “I hope you’re going to get rid of that afterwards!” . . .

SATURDAY

Up early again – piles of leftover junk, glue, card, paint etc have returned to Vicarage floor after very enjoyable week making totem poles, dream-catchers, butterflies, prayer arrows, giant webs, trees of life, and a magnificent painting of the world and all its people. Husband is duly amazed when, after a couple of hours hard work and sorting, order has reappeared out of chaos. Time to reflect with interest that in a week about connections, a stray question from one of the children, on the first day, about Charles Kingsley’s picture, led via the Water Babies to the Golden Rule: ‘Do as you would be done by’, which in The Good News Bible comes out as “Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets” Matthew 7:12. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together!

Copyright © 2006 Corynne Cooper.

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