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notes from a small vicar
from a parish
in Liverpool, UK
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Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Celtic night
posted by John Davies at 11:06 PM
That old George MacLeod story came alive again tonight, on a workshop I was leading on Celtic Christian spirituality:A boy threw a stone at a stained glass window of the Incarnation. It nicked out the "E" in the word 'HIGHEST' in the text, 'GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST.' Thus, till unfortunately it was mended, it read, 'GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGH ST'. Enjoyable, sharing verses from the Carmina Gadelica with folks who'd never heard anything so simultaneously earthy and other-worldly; and inviting them to see how they'd possibly fit them into their own lives.
We ended with 'Liverpool Hope', which isn't an advert for a local university college, but a localised adaptation of something the Late Late Service produced a decade ago, which moved us tonight as it always will, with a heavenly vision for this grimy place:LIVERPOOL HOPE
I saw a vision:
it was last Thursday at eleven o'clock in the morning.
I was standing at the top of Brownlow Hill, looking down over the city
and the cold, blue autumn sky broke open over my head
and the Spirit of God breathed on my eyes and my eyes were opened:
I saw Liverpool, the holy city, coming down out of heaven
shining like a rare jewel, sparkling like clear water in the eye of the sun
and all the sickness was gone from the city
and there were no more suburbs and schemes
no difference between Grassendale and Granby
I saw the Mersey running with the water of life,
as bright as crystal,
as clear as glass
the children of Liverpool swimming in it
And the Spirit showed me the tree of life
growing in Sefton Park
I looked out and there were no more homeless people
there were no women working the streets
there were no more junkies up the closes
HIV and AIDS were things of the past
there were no more racist attacks
no more attacks on gay people
no more rapists
no more stabbings
no more Protestants and Catholics
no more IRA graffiti, no more Orange marches
because there was no more hate
and I saw women walking safe at nights
and the men were full of passion and gentleness
and none of the children were ever abused
because the people's sex was full of justice and joy.
I saw an old woman throw back her head
and laugh like a young girl
and when the sky closed back her laughter rang in my head
for days and days
and would not go away.
This is what I saw, looking across to the Liver Buildings,
looking up from the city of death
and I knew then that there would be a day of resurrection
and I believe that there will be a day of resurrection. Adapted from 'The Prophet's Speech', in Words From The Late Late Service, Glasgow 1993
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john davies
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