The Perspective Of Peace

Yesterday afternoon, by the beach, we met Andy. Andy’s drone was 200 metres out to sea taking pictures of the sunset. From 60 metres up you get a wonderful over-view.

The world’s put into perspective…

In church yesterday Peter reminded that: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ I looked it up… It’s part of a letter from Lord Acton to Archbishop Mandell Creighton in 1887. Acton objected to Creighton’s tendency to be uncritical of authority figures:

‘I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way against holders of power… Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…’

The power perspective?

One of my favourite articles in our local paper over the weekend has been the story of an argument between two members of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS). Apparently two rival Santas in Attleborough, Norfolk, have fallen out. There have been accusations over copycat outfits and attempts to close down one another’s grottos. They’ve even involved IBRBS, based in Phoenix, Arizona: each Santa will be receiving a notice with “an explanation of why this kind of dust-up is not appropriate”.

The festive perspective?

I’ve been reading about ‘Carmina Gadelica’, a collection of songs, poems and prayers from the Celtic tradition: a prayer entitled ‘Peace’:

Peace between neighbours,
Peace between kindred.
Peace between lovers,
In love of the King of life.

Peace between person and person,
Peace between wife and husband,
Peace between woman and children,
The peace of Christ above all peace.

Bless, O Christ, my face,
Let my face bless everything;
Bless, O Christ, mine eye,
Let mine eye bless all its sees.

The perspective of peace… Lord Acton and Santa… Putin, Sunak, Biden… the football World Cup… my family, friends, personal anxieties…fresh perspective… perhaps God’s perspective?