Saint John the Baptist - Niton

St John the Baptish - Niton

© Godric Godricson

Traditional English Piety

Modern statues -
ancient witness

An anonymous Church - Norfolk
© Godric Godricson



I like the saints and how they are portrayed in English parish Churches. The images of the saints remain within Anglo-Catholic Churches like they truly belonged and sometimes its reassuring to find such traditional statuary that advises and informs faith and belief. The statues are something that our pre-reformation ancestors found and which connected them to their own faith and belief. The statues would have been there as the body was brought in for burials and the statues would have looked down as the bodies were carried out to the graveyard.

I like the continuity of the saints who do not speak or move or help us. They have no apparent function and yet they are comforting as they stand up on high.

The saints in Churches have witnessed everything and they continue to witness the daily comings and goings of parishes.

Saint John -Beachamwell

Saint John -Beechamwell

The village of Beachamwell is blessed by the presence of the two ruined Churches of All Saints and Saint John. Both Churches are in the process of being swallowed by the Earth that provided the materials for their construction. Saint John has a tower that speaks to the traveller across the fields even if the voice is now ever so quiet with the passing of time.

There is no obvious graveyard at this site with any memorials having disappeared years ago as is the way with such things

Saint John -Beachamwell
Crumbling walls in a sea of sheep

© Godric Godricson



© Godric Godricson


 

Saint John -Beachamwell
© Godric Godricson





John 5:28-29

John 5:28-29

"John 5:28-29 (NIV). "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."

I have said what I think about Paul and his ‘Johnny come lately’ way of expounding the Gospel. Reactionary, retrogressive and punitive; Paul leads the way to segregation and foolishness. John on the other hand repeats again and again the idea of the Resurrection into ever lasting life. There are similarities between John and Paul in that life ahead is more important than this world. Rather than improve humanity on this plane of existence we have what has been called jam tomorrow. This ‘jam tomorrow’ is the idea of heavenly glory.

My alarm bells ring when I hear John banging on about the afterlife and especially when John starts to threaten  and admonish. John purveys the idea of the policeman that dwells within us and we have the idea of a threat developing. John is saying “do this or God will punish you!” This is hardly an adult way to enter into a relationship with God or to consider the ever after. John troubles me because although he sells the idea of love he clearly sells the idea of  threats.

Saint Margaret's Parish King's Lynn

© Godric Godricson

I am also hardly surprised at the idea of what constitutes “Good” and we can imagine that John  is saying “you have to believe what I'm saying to be seen as good!” So much for equal opportunities and social inclusion.

Whatever your view on Christianity, it is clear that John is offering the idea of the grave as the parking lot where we wait for the  resurrection. The grave is like a womb where we wait and sleep before rising to heaven or hell. The idea of hell is a threat and treating humanity like a child.