Thursday, 6 September 2007

Here we Go Here we go Here we go

Okay several major events this week. One which has kept me glued to the computer in a work sense all week. One that will have me glued to the tele in another

Synod verses the world cup
both intense
both bruising
both a situation where the saying "it's not about winning it's about how you play the game" is something that is secretly followed by 90% of us muttering "yeah right".

When its over there are those for whom the victory lap will echo for... oh miliseconds, before talk of strategies for next time will come into the fore, before reruns will have us re-examining the form of suspect players, and new team line ups will be tossed around.

Lord help me I have become a cynic. You see if I am honest I still actually believe at some level that it's not about the winning. That we miss the point, and no I am not just saying that because that is what I am supposed to say. This year I have been sequestered back at HQ as 'office support' and I find a sadness in that. You see in all the dramas of Synod the feeling I am most often left with (besides moments of outrage and mind numbing boredom at the accounts sections) is a profound mix of love and grief.

Love because this is the place for better or worse that I see my strange diverse family together, where I catch up with people I haven't seen for an age, where I move between worlds and care about how those worlds work together, about how we care and come before each other. And grief because of how quickly I see the ego come into play, how seemingly without effort we move to an offensive game, of how our humanness gets in the way of our humanity.

A while ago during a controversial period I suggested that all clergy who wished to fight it out, be made to go and do the most unmentionable jobs possible, to care for those for whom even Mother Teresa would be having to suck it up to go to, to clean up vomit and diarrhea to minister without words to the worst of our societies creations. Then and only then when they have done this to a point of being brought to their knees, would they be able to come back to the table and talk. Funnily enough the clergy at the table at the time got rather uncomfortable although there were a few lay people rather over enthusiastic about the idea, that is until I widened it to include us all.

Families can be difficult especially when your own personal ministry through your work is to serve them all. Maybe that's why in the rugby world cup my favourite games are not between world heavy weights but between teams such as Togo verses Japan. Both teams know that they have little hope of winning the world cup, what I see in them is the delight in actually getting there, of being together in all their diversity of skills and experience, of being able to learn from each other and take that learning home, to take part and be proud of that, what they have archived and each other.

Here We Go... Here We Go... Here We Go...