Forget Your Perfect Offering

[poliphilo]

We went to church twice over the holidays. Once in Brenchley on Christmas morning, early and the second time in Hadlow this Sunday.

Hadlow is the village where I spent my early adolescence. The church has a Norman tower and bells that still can ring. There are crusader crosses in the stonework round the door, 17th and 18th century hatchments in the nave and a set of clumsy, early twentieth century, stained glass windows- one with a knight in a dark wood and St George standing on the dragon's head. Being there felt entirely natural- not like a homecoming but as if I'd been gazing round at these things every Sunday of my life.

I'm tired. I don't want to argue about theology anymore.  I've tried all sorts of different religions and none of them was any better than the one my ancestors made. Anglican Christianity isn't perfect- I reserve the right to disagree on points of detail- but I think it'll last me the rest of this life.

Comments

[treehavn.livejournal.com]

By coincidence I drove through Hadlow yesterday evening - the one near Tonbridge? It struck me as a particularly comfortable place. They've got some beautiful Norman churches in that region; we drove past one that was so striking against the landscape that I can't get it out of my mind.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's the one.

I've never been to Barming. I must seek it out. Seeing how I lived in the area for around ten years, it's amazing how poorly I know it.