MY TWO DAY DASH

A TWO DAY DASH

On Friday I had a funeral to take 50 miles away, a journey complicated by an earlier accident. The congestion proved a blessing as I diverted onto Kent’s exquisite country roads, effulgent with summer harvest and bee song. 

Back home, Gabriel burst in elated at good SATS results and having just successfully been Aladdin in the dress rehearsal, chuckling he had tripped up at one moment in his typical energetic way!

I had to prepare and pack, ready to travel to France the next day, make funeral calls, respond to ordinands, liase with wedding couples and give advice about how to respond to discrimination.

The courier that was due to collect an Italian dining suite we had refurbished was delayed until after Midnight, so it was too late to go to bed. At 1.30 a.m. I had a swim and then a cold shower in the garden! 

I drove to Gatwick and caught the bus from the car park to the terminal. I wouldn’t get another chance to eat for 12 or so hours, so had a breakfast at 3.30 a.m.

A family then waved to me from across the terminal. I had baptised the children 14 years before in a garden in Sevenoaks, which was a very special memory for them.  They had also seen the Channel 4 documentary about our Christmas lights. What was especially touching, was that their son of 14 had a picture of the baptism on his mobile phone!

I walked away really humbled and emotional. 

I caught some uncomfortable sleep on the 90-minute flight and then was again under pressure. The baptism was at 12 and it was now, French time, 9.15.

I had to navigate through the spaghetti of unfamiliar roads onto the motorway and then take the extraordinary route above Nice, past Monaco and then head high up into the mountains, round the perilous hairpin bends that are treacherous on a good day but worse on no sleep!

The house was tucked amid the verdant hills and I climbed out of the air-conditioned hire car into a wall of 34-degree heat and then found the chairs for the service were arranged, placing me fully exposed to the sun.

The baptism proved a delight. One side of the family were Roman Catholic and the other side from a Northern Irish Protestant background. Religion was a tricky area carrying acute sensitivities. So much so, that some key family members had not attended important previous family events because of where they were taking place.

The baptism in the garden, taken in a child centred and informal manner proved a healing bridge for everyone. Catholics and Protestants, French, English and Irish, all were at one in the presence of the cleansing innocence of an experience, enshrined in the miracle of birth, where the ‘adult’ clutter was placed on one side and all could relax.

Laughter and love danced within the sunlight, as hearts were safe and at peace, sharing in life’s best. Amid rainbow coloured silk, love hearts, twinkling stars, hand puppet animals, personalised songs and a baby’s hands splashing the water, we were all washed, renewed and reborn.

I was elated but also shattered by this stage and wringing wet from the heat. On my return, the mountain scape was breathtaking while the engineering involved in the tunnels and viaducts was impressive. In the queues for the tolls I kept catching snatches of momentary sleep. 

The easyJet flight was 2 hours delayed and I finally got back home at 12.35 a.m.

By then all the ‘boys’ of the family had returned from their adventures! Nathan had had an amazing time with his mates at the Wireless Festival, having his first mosh pit experience, to his favourite music. Oh the drops!

Dominic had come home from a pool party with many stories to tell and Gabriel had come home buzzing after a day crabbing on the beach at Broadstairs with his cousins.

Sleep was a sweet gift, and very unlike me, I didn’t get up, the next day, until 11!

ARCHBISHOP JONATHAN BLAKE IS INNOCENT-HE HELPED STOP A PAEDOPHILE

http://bishopjonathanblake.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/press-release-concerning-met-police.html

"You brave, courageous and wonderful man.

To stand up for the truth in the face of suppression and oppression

is truly an act of a pure heart."