Skip to main content

Books, Beer and Bridges...


As I’ve said a couple of times already, I was privileged to visit Munich a few weeks ago… That whole has a strong Roman Catholic character and a proud monastic tradition, and while I was there I learned more about the monks role in copying books and Bibles (as I noted previously), but also in the beer brewing industry of Bavaria, which may have outgrown its monastic roots, but still uses images of monks as a marketing tools.
But, while wandering round the Deutsches Museum, I also learned of the tradition of a "bridge-building brotherhood” who apparently dedicated their lives to building bridges as acts of piety, as much as for public utility, with the main practical aim being to aim pilgrims on their way. The story goes that St. Benozet (or Benedict) was influentual in the formation of such a brotherhood in the 12th century to build the old "pont d'Avignon" over the Rhone, which people sing about dancing on... Subsequest research on return from Munich, however suggests that this (and many of the other stories of bridge-building monks) are exaggerated, or perhaps misinterpretations of the idea of "brotherhood" which may have referred to a trade guild rather than a religious order.

While we were away most of the news from the UK was filled with stories of the floods in Cumbria, resulting in the collapse of at least 4 local bridges and the damage of many others, producing divided communities and social isolation. Indeed as I publish this piece today, there is news of a new footbridge constructed, not by a crack unit of bridge-building monks, but by the Royal Engineering Corps, reuniting the two sides of Workington. Yet normally we take bridges, and their builders for granted.

So I don't know whether monastic orders were really as influential in the business of building bridges as they were in the preservation of books and the brewing of beer, but there are spiritual lessons to be learned from them all the same. On the sheer physical level, building structures that address particular public need (rather than simply building places of worship) can be an act of piety and prophecy (see the work of Skainos in East Belfast for example).
But also, we may not be civil engineers or architects or members of a monastic brotherhood of bridge-builders but ALL Christians are called on to build bridges within and between communities… Not with bridges of stone and steel, but bridges of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation between hurting, hating, insecure and isolated people.
(Yet another adapted "Just a Moment" from last week... It actually "escaped" in an unamended form earlier on... apologies.)
Counters
Shalom
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Woman of no Distinction

Don't often post other people's stuff here... But I found this so powerful that I thought I should. It's a performance poem based on John 4: 4-30, and I have attached the original YouTube video below. A word for women, and men, everywhere... "to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known." I am a woman of no distinction of little importance. I am a women of no reputation save that which is bad. You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances, Though you don’t really take the time to look at me, Or even get to know me. For to be known is to be loved, And to be loved is to be known. Otherwise what’s the point in doing either one of them in the first place? I WANT TO BE KNOWN. I want someone to look at my face And not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; But to see all that I am, and could be all my hopes, loves and fears. But that’s too much to hope for, to wish for, or pray for So I don’t, not anymore. Now I keep to myself And by that
2 comments
Read more

Psalm for Harvest Sunday

A short responsive psalm for us as a call to worship on Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday, and given that it was pouring with rain as I headed into church this morning the first line is an important remembrance that the rain we moan about is an important component of the fruitfulness of the land we live in: You tend the land and water it And the earth produces its abundance. You crown each year with your bounty, and our storehouses overflow with your goodness. The mountain meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are filled with corn; Your people celebrate your boundless grace They shout for joy and sing. from Psalm 65
3 comments
Read more

Anointed

There has been a lot of chatter on social media among some of my colleagues and others about the liturgical and socio-political niceties of Saturday's coronation and attendant festivities, especially the shielding of the anointing with the pictured spoon - the oldest and perhaps strangest of the coronation artefacts. Personally I thought that was at least an improvement on the cloth of gold canopy used in the previous coronation, but (pointless) debates are raging as to whether this is an ancient practice or was simply introduced in the previous service to shield the Queen from the TV cameras, not for purposes of sacredness, but understandable coyness, if she actually had to bare her breast bone in puritan 1950s Britain. But as any church leader knows, anything performed twice in a church becomes a tradition. All this goes to show that I did actually watch it, while doing other things - the whole shooting match from the pre-service concert with yer wumman in that lemon-
2 comments
Read more