Decay

Decay- there is no escaping it- we all do. I am 42 and 'aging gracefully', but I am also decaying. I (almost) have a new kitchen (the last one was put in by someone with the kitchen installation skils of a blind florist who loves Heath Robinson)- putting stuff in it last night, stuff that looked ok when it was in the old kitchen just highlights how a lot of our stuff is plain shabby, and yes, decaying.



Sideways thought- why is shabbiness in a minister's possesions/home considered a virtue/sign of holiness by some; 'we have got to cut corners- there is really not a lot of money to go round', while often the same people would regard it as not acceptable in their own homes? Just an (un) innocent remark....



To quote those noted divines The Proclaimers: 'The life that I've been living since the day I first drew breath, has been my way of forgetting I'm on the journey to my death'. Decay can be beautiful- see these pictures- we also talk about someone being 'distinguished' (hmmm...why are men aging 'distinguished' and women just 'getting old'?), but it is still decay. Funny how adverts/marketing hit us with 'new, new' all the time- maybe it is because we prefer to avoid decay and we can run around through life like a 4 year old at a party, cramming junk food down our necks (I've been to a lot of parties for 4 year olds. Actually, when I go, I'm trying to stuff loads of junk food down my neck- it tastes so good!).


I am not being maudlin- not in Leonard Cohen mood just yet (and on that subject- Hallelujah- X factor- it is all so wrong. Here is a classic song that connects, asks questions- faces up to life. It is like someone has grabbed it, put it in box fresh trainers, given it the Daily Mail, cut it's hair and force fed it Big Macs and fries. Stop it. Now)- although I did a funeral today. The person had a very very long life. But at the end...decay.

Perhaps part of what I do is to try and point out the beauty in decay and to draw attention to where God might be (see Gifford post earlier this week), albeit imperfectly. Another part of what I do is to face up to and name death when others struggle to do it. Maybe (on good days) to others and myself I manage to say- 'Hey guys- listen to what the Proclaimers say'. I think that is tangentially a little of what Rowan Williams was saying yesterday on R4 about the slump.

I actually like funerals- it feels a real privilege. And now, in one of those dramatic switches that local radio continuity announcers can pull off- my day suddenly switches to 2 school christingles. I love this job!

(These photos are from an excellent stream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/deano/sets/72157601310098830/)