Issue 8055

THE

INQUIRER £1 | Issue 8055 | 18 March 2023

Inside this issue…

GA staff speak out The lessons of ‘Black Narcissus’ Learning from the Stoics

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The voice of British and Irish Unitarians and Free Christians

Call it the good Library

It’s got poetry, fables, characters and wisdom, but the Bible is also full of fiction says Jenny Jacobs

THE

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www.unitarian.org.uk Page 2 | Issue 8055 – 18 March 2023

Chalice consultation results announced

A message from the Unitarian General Assembly Executive Committee: We are writing with an update on the outcome of the recent consultation on the flaming chalice logo.

We want to reassure those concerned that there is no intention to abandon the use of the flaming chalice as the symbol of British Unitarianism. Whilst the design of the symbol used by headquarters at Essex Hall will of course evolve and change over the years, the flaming chalice symbol and all that it represents remains constant. In response to the many interesting and helpful responses concerning the history of the symbol, we are creating a new page on our website telling the story of the flaming chalice and showing the diverse range of artistic interpretations available worldwide.

We would like to thank everyone who has been in dialogue with us on this subject since the re-branding in February 2021. The strong feelings we have heard expressed are a welcome reminder of the passion of the many people who play a role in stewarding this community. We hope that as we move forward, this passion for the ideas and values that we stand for can help us find our way forward so we can be sure the flame will be passed forward for many generations to come.

Back in November we wrote to all 152 of our congregations asking for their views and received responses from a total of 32 congregations, a response rate of 21%. (A summary of responses is available here: https://tinyurl.com/ChaliceConsult) The Executive Committee have carefully examined the responses and discussed them at their meeting on 17 January, along with the feedback received at the listening circles we hosted in September 2022.

Balancing the views of the 32 congregations who responded to the consultation with the wider context, the EC would like to acknowledge to all our congregations and members that the communication and consultation around the change to the flaming chalice logo did not meet everyone’s expectations, and apologise to those who have felt upset, confused or left out of the process. We are committed to learning from this experience for the future.

The priority behind the rebranding, including the adoption of a new-style chalice design, has always been to reach new people, beyond our existing, declining membership. Therefore, the new designs may not always appeal to those who have been Unitarians for many years – but we ask for your patience and trust that we have the best interests of the Unitarian movement at heart in our decision-making.

We will retain the design work adopted in 2021, including the new style chalice for use in the GA’s communications. However, we remind all congregations that it is their right to use any logo or symbol for their own purposes.

With best wishes, The Rev Dr Rory Castle Jones, Communications Officer Liz Slade, Chief Officer on behalf of the Executive Committee

Take the Bible seriously, but not literally says Jenny Jacobs

Stand up for the good library A lot of people have problems with the Bible. There are those who insist it’s the inerrant word of God. They have to tie themselves into knots explaining why the loving God they preach does terrible things like order the genocide of the Canaanites along with all their animals (in Deuteronomy). Then there’s the group of people who take a remarkably similar view of the Bible – that it’s the inerrant word of God – and therefore take issue with not just the Bible but God too. Richard Dawkins falls into this category.

But whoever espouses it, this view our lives and our language in an of the Bible – that every word unparalleled way. is God-given and therefore has And yes, there are uncomfortable to be swallowed whole, without episodes – like the one where God interpretation, as literal truth – is orders the Israelites to murder “Using the Bible as a a very modern view. Until very the Canaanites. But this is not like weapon to hurt others recently, it wasn’t usually the case modern historical writing. It’s the that taking the Bible seriously Jews, many centuries after the is indefensible and meant taking it literally, too. events, writing a fable about where un-biblical. ” As long as it has been written down, they’ve come from and where this collection of writings has been they’re heading. It’s mythmaking, the subject of endless interpretation and not untypical of other writings and exposition. And the literal view of the time which play fast and of the text does it a huge disservice, loose with facts and numbers to since the Bible is a not a book, but make everything sound grander and a whole collection of books, and whilst some purport to more planned and purposeful than it actually was. be history, of which it might seem appropriate to ask Those who argue that the Bible is the inerrant word of whether or not it is literally and factually true, it’s still not God have their work cut out. There is no one inerrant history as we would write it today. Other books are songs, version of events, for a start. Over and over again, the wisdom, polemic, laws, apocalyptic vision and letters, Bible presents us with two different versions of a story. where the question doesn’t even make sense.

For example, in the beginning… there are two creation Depending on your particular religious adherence, there myths. Genesis 1 gives us the lofty remote God speaking are either 24 books (if you’re a Jew) 66 (if you’re a everything into creation in six days and resting on the Protestant) or 81 (if you’re Ethiopian Orthodox) with seventh. Genesis 2 (from verse 4, actually – remember, some other variations in between. We’re definitely not there are no chapters and verses in the original) gives us talking about The Good Book here, but the Good Library. an alternative creation myth, with a God who gets his hands dirty, gathering up a handful of dust, forming it into Much uncomfortable reading the shape of a man and breathing life into his nostrils. This And whether we read the Bible every day or never give it is the story of Adam and Eve; this is the God who walks in a passing thought, like it or not, the Bible has influenced the garden in the cool of the day.

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Taking action

Ann Howell writes of her new role as General Assembly Social Action Officer How would you describe your new role within the Unitarian General Assembly?

Paraphrasing my official job description, the aim of the role of Social Action Officer is to build capacity in the UK Unitarian movement for leading effective social justice work at a local and national level, as well as developing and coordinating new campaigns.

When did you take it up?

October 2022 It’s a new position. How did it come Ann Howell about?

As far as I understand, it came about from a strong commitment to social action as a key component to the future success and sustainable growth for UK Unitarians. The role is funded by the Bowland Trust.

What is your Unitarian background? What experience do you bring to the task?

We were a church-going family growing up, but none of us really engaged with Unitarianism until my mother took a job as an organist at a Unitarian church when I was a young adult. Ten or so years later when I was going through a personal crisis, I sought out my local congregation in Montreal. The welcoming sense of community I received and the sense of purpose I felt by the social action work they were doing sealed my commitment to the movement. When I moved to London, I had a similar feeling when I joined New Unity and subsequently Lewisham Unity, my current home congregation.

Besides being a long-time committee member at Lewisham Unity (I am currently co-chair), the main experience I bring to my new role is being a co-founder and former director of SimpleGifts, the Unitarian social action project in Bethnal Green, East London. In between, I led a small, local, non-profit organisation supporting older vulnerable adults in Lewisham.

Since it came about in an unusual way, how does your post differ from other GA staff positions? Does it have a fixed term?

The role is a 5-year term, not unlike other roles that are on fixed terms, such as the congregational connections officer.

What do you see as your focus – promoting the Social Justice work at the national level, or aiding congregations and other organisations in their local social justice programmes?

My focus is on taking stock of the issues that are currently inspiring and concerning the movement, including climate justice, racial justice, migrant rights, and trans rights (among others), and seeing where we can build capacity. The Unitarian General Assembly meetings will be essential to that process. As well, I am starting to organise visits to different parts of the UK to gauge capacity and discuss ways of engagement. Part of that equation is working with Lizzie Kingston on congregational networks.

How will your work relate to the Penal and Social Affairs Panel?

My work will be directly linked to the PSAP. I will support them on an organisational level and help them grow their network. Already, two new potential members to the panel have been identified, and we will work to continue building the team. There is a lot of expertise amongst current members in legal matters, which makes sense given the origins of the panel which was focussed on penal reform.

We would aim to widen its scope to include more general social justice issues.

Are there any projects you’ve learnt about or are working on which you would like to share with the wider movement?

We are looking at possible involvement with Citizens UK (www.citizensuk.org), a national community organising project, as well as Larger Us (www.larger.us). These are both secular groups that aim to help groups network and organise around specific issues.

Lizzie and I are starting to work on a network for ‘small but determined’ congregations, where there will be scope for some shared social action work.

For so many congregations and other groups, the last few years have been exhausting, and for many it’s already a struggle to keep our groups together. Do you sense there is a capacity to reach out and ‘do’ social action right now?

It has been an exhausting time and while there is a certain amount of ‘doom fatigue’, there also seems to be a genuine desire to reconnect with community around issues of importance. There are ways to ease the burden, especially by collaborating with other groups. On a personal level, I can say first-hand that living out my Unitarian values with actions based on love and kindness creates capacity I didn’t even know I had. Right around the time I started this role, we welcomed a Ukrainian refugee into our home Continued on page 10>

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Making Connections

Lizzie Kingston-Harrison on bringing Unitarians together, highlighting successes You have been Congregational having a purpose – and actually, Connections lead about a year and that applies to all of us. a half. How are you finding it?

What is your Unitarian backI love it. I feel that making connecground? tions, sharing ideas and resources, In 2010 I completed my PhD at and building relationships is one of the University of Sussex, on Joseph the most valuable things we can all Priestley, our brilliant, original, and do right now – especially when so free-thinking Unitarian forebear. much feels uncertain and unsettling I explored his work on the psyin the wider world. I’ve met many chology of language and the ways inspiring people and I hope that I’ve in which his understanding of the played a positive role in building new mind and language impacted on relationships across the movement. his interpretation of biblical metaI’ve learnt that change happens phor. Clearly my head moves more Lizzie Kingston-Harrison when people doing good things quickly than my heart, because it connect with others, to learn from them, to support each was about eight years after finishing my PhD that I walked other and to help nurture a shared purpose. I try to help into Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House in Suffolk. If this happen – that’s why it’s such a joy to do this job.

Joseph Priestley invited me into the Unitarian denominaHow do you describe your job and responsibilities? tion, then I stayed for the compassionate, liberal, loving, In essence, it’s about finding where brilliant things are and inclusive principles I found in the modern movement. happening and making sure that lots of people know about Connecting congregations is a broad remit – how do you them. I’m facilitating new connections between individuals break that down when you are prioritising what to do? and congregations and so strengthening the fabric of our It’s been hard and I’m not sure if I have always got it right. community. For example, events like our Congregations I’ve followed my instincts and tried go where I think interin the Community evenings give ministers, lay leaders and esting and inspiring things are happening and I’ve been so congregations a chance to tell their stories and share new grateful for the work that Bob Janis carried out in the role ideas. You can find all the videos from these online events before I took over. I didn’t have a plan, I just felt that if I on the GA YouTube channel. (See the channel here: built good relationships with people that the right things https://www.youtube.com/@theunitarians4023 ) would emerge. I often worry that I haven’t got it right Likewise, the new Worship Words website (https:// and I often make mistakes, but I’ve learnt a huge amount worshipwords.unitarian.org.uk) celebrates the work of along the way and I’m looking forward to finding out what many of our talented writers and gives them a chance I’m going to do next. to share their worship materials across the movement.

What are the initiatives you are most pleased with?

I’m always looking for new resources so please email I’m lucky to be working with Richard Bober, of The Medworshipwords@unitarian.org.uk if you’d like to itation Fellowship, Sheena Gabriel, and Rob Oulton on contribute to the collection. our joint project Together in Meditation. Our vision for What experience do you bring to the task? this weekly online meditation group is that it is an open Prior to this role, I spent 15 years in education – teaching and loving space, for Unitarians and non-Unitarians to sit undergraduates and supervising MA students while I did together and find tranquillity and insight through meditaa PhD in Unitarian history, and then working as a teacher tion, times of silence and fellowship. of history and RE in a comprehensive school in Ipswich.

The group is a joy to be involved with, and it feels importIf I learnt one thing during that time in the classroom, it ant that we are part of a wider discussion, happening now is that we all have the capacity to do amazing things when in all sorts of interesting places in our movement, about we feel safe and have a sense of purpose. the ways in which we integrate meditative practices into I think we find that sense of safety and meaning in propour worship. Anyone can join, so I invite people to email erly connecting with ourselves and with other people. I’ve me if they would like to come along via zoom. taught lots of children who achieved more than they ever Meanwhile, Rory Castle Jones and I have been working on thought they could because they found something that a new project called LGBT+ Unitarian Voices. The project sparked a sense of being part of something bigger and seeks to record and lift up the stories of LGBT+ UnitarContinued on page 8> www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 5

It’s a good library Continued from page 3 >

We’re all familiar with the story denying that there are differences; of Noah and the animals walking or trying to explain them away; or two-by-two into the ark; we find indeed spending your life looking “The biblical writers this story in Genesis 6. Who knows for fragments of the ark on Mount the one about the animals walking Ararat or calculating the date of were immensely seven-by-seven? That’s the version the end of the world are all fruitless skilful and did nothing in the next chapter of Genesis. pursuits which entirely miss the Though, to be fair, it only applies point. The Bible stories are so much without a reason, even to the clean/sacrificial animals and more than factual reportage. They if they occasionally got every sort of bird. Noah had to are probably very rarely factual take extra clean animals and birds reportage; the factual record is something wrong.” as some of them were immediately almost incidental and certainly sacrificed once they were able to never gets in the way of a good or leave the ark and of course if they’d an important story. These powerful only had one pair, well, that would myths tell us significant truths have been that. through the use of story, idea and symbol. Such truths Whoever pulled together the different Jewish traditions need to be taken in at a deep, not a superficial level. Two didn’t choose one and make it definitive; they wove donkeys – ultimately – don’t really matter. A king who both together almost seamlessly. And they did this doesn’t do pomp and circumstance, a king who’s a man of because both versions had value. The biblical writers were the people, that’s what matters. immensely skilful and did nothing without a reason, even if Giving thanks for translating martyrs they occasionally got something wrong.

And there are errors. I’ll mention just one. All four gospels When I vote every polling day, I still think of the contain the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding on a suffragettes and give them a mental vote of thanks. I don’t know about you but it never usually crosses my mind when donkey, applauded by the crowd, who strew his path with I open my Bible that men were tortured and put to death palm branches and garments. This shows Jesus bringing a for making the bible available to people in their actual text from Zechariah to life: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King languages.

Who were these martyrs? The men who brought us the cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, Bible in English were John Wycliffe, martyred in 1384 and and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’

William Tyndale, martyred in 1536. Just owning one of One donkey or two? their translations was a capital offence, and many people This text employs the common Hebrew trope of ‘doubling’ died as a result. Jan Hus suffered a similar fate when, – that is, repeating a phrase in slightly different form, inspired by Wycliffe, he translated the Bible into Czech; for the purpose of emphasis. It does it twice; firstly, Zion the same happened to Jacob van Liesveldt, who translated rejoicing and Jerusalem shouting are one and the same. the Bible into Dutch.

Secondly, Zechariah doesn’t mean that the King is riding Why was a bible which anyone could read suppressed? two donkeys, an ass and a foal of an ass: he’s emphasising What was so dangerous about this collection of myths, his lowliness, riding not some fine horse, but a donkey. histories, prayers, proverbs and prophecies? Why would Matthew doesn’t seem to know about doubling. Alone people care so much that they were willing to risk torture amongst the gospel authors, he takes the original text and death to bring the bible to the masses? This was literally and in his gospel, the disciples are told to collect a time when the Church had everything very nicely two donkeys, and Jesus rides into Jerusalem straddling sewn up. It majored on hellfire and damnation, and the pair of them. There are even Old Master paintings invented non-biblical concepts like purgatory; this useful bringing this rather daft image to life. waystation after death allowed the Church to dispense But of all the very many stories where there are differing salvation on their terms, which were financial. Purgatory versions, the question generally isn’t ‘Which one is true?’ was a good way to extort money from the wealthy; but but ‘what is the message?’ Tying yourself into knots either completely non-biblical.

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“The literal view of the text does it a huge disservice, since the Bible is a not a book, but a whole collection of books.”

Shown left: National Library of the Czech Republic. Photo by izoca via Pixabay

The Bible shows another way. Salvation, over and over again, is about saving the widows and orphans, loving the stranger. It’s about systemic social justice and the relationship not merely of the individual but the nation with God. It promotes a very different kingdom from the system of the day. Or indeed, from our own day.

The corruption of the Church and the baseless form of its teachings were Wycliffe’s driving force and what motivated most of the other translators.

Making the Bible available to all did have a profound effect on the Church and arguably led to the Reformation. It didn’t, however, bring about the kingdom of God. And one wonders what Wycliffe, Tyndale, Hus and van Liesveldt would make of our modern society, where the book they died to make available to us is largely disregarded and ignored.

Indeed, where it still holds sway, the pendulum has swung the other way. Now the Bible is used not to liberate but to fetter portions of humanity (homosexuals for example).

Or to give latitude to discriminate between men and women (as in the Church of England, until very recently).

At one time it was even used to justify slavery and a social order where your social station was divinely ordained.

Even today, some people make an idol of the Bible, which is no better than making an idol of anything else. And whilst they may consider themselves to be its devotees, in taking bits of it literally, they’re not actually taking the whole thing seriously.

The Bible includes wonderful, searing indictments against corrupt and careless rulers. It speaks truth to power, whether the words issue from the mouths of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah or Jesus. Orators have frequently borrowed these words to great effect – Martin Luther King’s wonderful ‘I have a dream’ speech includes quotes from Isaiah and Amos.

But modern idolaters often ignore all of this in favour of what have become known as the ‘clobber texts’ against homosexuality in Leviticus and Paul’s letters, whilst passing over the texts in Leviticus that might make life difficult for themselves – or indeed the words of

Paul which put love centre stage. Using the Bible as a weapon to hurt others is indefensible and un-biblical.

Furthermore, I do not believe that those who insist that homosexuality is an abomination, also accept that tattoos and fabrics made from mixed fibres are equally forbidden.

And, I wonder how many of them believe we should treat immigrants and refugees as natives with equal rights, as is set down in Leviticus 19?

The two great commandments in the Bible are found first in Deuteronomy and Leviticus and later they are brought together by Jesus in the Gospels when he says ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’

Or as the prophet Micah put it simply, hundreds of years earlier, ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ Anyone whose actions or preaching don’t accord with these great commandments, who does not have ‘charity’ – or as we would say today, love – is a false prophet, or as Wycliffe put it, brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling.

Good men died to bring us the Bible in words we could understand. There is so much in there which still speaks to us today. Let’s not fall into the small-minded trap of taking it literally. But please, let’s take it seriously. The Good Library is as relevant today as ever.

Jenny Jacobs Jenny Jacobs is a member of St Saviourgate Unitarian Church, York, and is a member of the Unitarian General Assembly Executive Committee.

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Making connections Continued from page 5 >

ians within our movement. We are even vulnerable, and safe while recording interviews, archiving key they explore their beliefs. Unitardocuments, and presenting everyianism gave me the space to be thing we find on an online timeline more fully myself and my vision is “We are uniquely placed and travelling exhibition. The exhibito find new ways to give that back. to offer a genuine tion will be on display at the annual What will your success look like? meetings and later in the year we I’d probably get quite anxious if I alternative to secular, hope many other chapels will want to was focusing on success, I’m just materialistic and host it too. trying to leave things slightly more Are there new ones which you are connected than when I found individualistic life.” planning? them. Maybe I won’t achieve that, I am working with Simon Bland on a but it feels good to try. It feels like new Congregational Support Toolkit, the right thing to do and I’m hugean online space for congregations ly proud to be a small part of the to find everything they need to help story of our beloved community. with governance, administration, community action and When a non-Unitarian asks you about your faith, how do vision. Alongside this, I am collaborating with Ann Howyou describe it? ell, our new Social Action Officer, to build Peer-Support I’m still finding out about my faith really. Every time I Networks. Both these initiatives are ways in which the GA settle on a clear statement about what I believe, then it Staff team are working to provide congregations with what seems to shift and change a little. I’ve meditated for 20 they need to get governance right, alongside cultivating years and I’m getting more disciplined with that these the vision and energy to adapt to our changing times. days, but even now I want to put ‘meditate’ in inverted Is there something you have learnt so far which you commas because those moments of true wordless preswould like to share across the movement? ence are so rare. I’m not a natural contemplative and have Our culture has the appetite for spiritual engagement, and many struggles with keeping a still mind and body. this seems to be increasing, There are all sorts of ways in I would describe myself as someone of faith, as someone which people are looking for meaning, purpose and conwho believes that the world is saturated with beauty and nection with something transcendent. We have gifts to meaning that transcends us as individuals. I can feel the share that tap into this. We have long-standing wisdom to sacredness of the world, and in other people, and that draw upon, our radical traditions, our inclusivity, our inkeeps me grounded and helps me find the joy and energy spiring history of engaging critically and counter-culturally in what I do. Perhaps then my faith is an experience rather with society. than a belief, I am participating in something that I don’t Perhaps we are uniquely placed to offer a genuine alterneed to understand. It gives me hope and is expressed native to secular, materialistic and individualistic life. At through love, and that is enough. times, I know it feels like we get lost, we lose confidence, When would you like to hear from Unitarians, and about and our message does not always get out as much as it what? How best to get in touch with you? should, but I took this job because I think we have the Please come and find me at the Annual Meetings if you’re collective energy to make a positive difference. Times are there, email me on ekingston@unitarian.org.uk or come changing, there are some things we need to let go of, but along to an online event. I’d love to hear inspiring stories we have so much within our community that we can use to and find ways to share them so if you know you’re doing nourish a future that acknowledges our unity and interde- something great then tell me about it and tell everyone pendence and finds new ways to look after each other and else on your behalf! I want to spend more time connecting the planet. congregations based on shared concerns and experiences, What is important to you about this role? for example coastal congregations, ‘small and thriving’ To model the virtue in simply showing up and being prescongregations, tiny gatherings – if you think of a new way ent – in all senses of the word, including the spiritual. The to group congregations or if you want to be part of these rest flows from this. I feel like this is something we are new ‘peer-support’ networks then please get in touch. getting right in so many spaces across the denomination.

Finally, I’m always open to new collaborations, especially We have – due to our history as dissenters, our ongoing online groups, so if you have an idea for a new way to conlove for one another and our deeply held principles – crenect people maybe we can work together on it. ated a space where people have the potential to be real, Page 8 | Issue 8055 – 18 March 2023

Beyond the serenity prayer Over the last few months I have become friendly with a local family. The vehicle for this has, of course, been my puppy Molly. They have their own Molly, a lovely spaniel, a mix of Cavalier and Cocker. The family goes each morning to café Nero and it is here where we talk for a little while, before I take Molly to the park. I bumped into David the father of the family recently as he hobbled home. He walks with a stick and was returning from the gym. We talked about his weight-loss programme. His method is very different to the one I followed as he is on an intermittent fasting regime. He eats for just a very small window of time, early each evening. We talked for some time, and the conversation progressed into other aspects of life – the troubles we all face as people and the world in general. He told me he had been exploring the ancient Stoics. He studied philosophy as a young man, but not in the way he does now. We also talked of prayer, particularly that universal prayer, that seems to epitomise elements of Stoicism, at least in its original form – The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The Serenity Prayer is one of the great prayers, simple, practical and beautifully universal. It speaks powerfully to the heart and soul of so many people, and has ever since this version was attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s. I even got into a conversation about it in a remote village in Transylvania a few years ago – an experience that is etched on my heart and soul and will be forever.

It is easy to say that we are powerless, but is that entirely true? While as individuals we are not masters of the universe, but what we do or don’t do matters. We each leave an impact on this world of ours. It matters what we feel, think, say and do. We are not the ocean, but we are a part of what makes up the seas. Of course we have to accept reality as it is, but that is not the full answer. It is just an element in the whole process. It really depends on what we do from there.

This, to me, is the essence of The Serenity Prayer.

As the prayer teaches, the key to life is always finding the wisdom to know the difference; the key is discernment.

We need to be able to discern, to sift out, what needs to be let go, what needs to be accepted, and what needs to change for this to happen.

I love the serenity prayer for many reasons, but primarily because it is humble, honest and open. It is not a petition demanding the universe to conform to our will. Instead it is asking for guidance and strength to do our part and to

FROM NOTHING TO EVERYTHING

By Danny Crosby

see what our part is, while also accepting the realities of the world. Finally, it nudges us to discover the wisdom to know what our stuff is, what our stuff is not, and what is in our power to change.

It is not a passive prayer about simply accepting the status quo, quite the opposite. I see a lot of faith and works in these words. It is a prayer about seeking out what we can do and doing it. It sounds like classic Stoicism to me.

We all despair at the world at times. When looking at the news and the horrors of our inhumanity, witnessing the suffering in the world, despair can be deeply seductive.

But it does not help anyone, least of all ourselves.

Recently things have been overwhelming for me; so many close to me are suffering. We lost two family members, another cousin and the mother of some of my siblings, two dear ones from my broken and complicated family.

Some are suffering within the congregations I serve, and several people I passed in the street stopped me to unburden themselves of their grief and family issues. I had to almost pull a man off the road. He was so lost and confused with grief that he stopped in the middle of the crossing as he passed. We talked at the side of the road. I know it is not in my power to relieve anyone of their pain and suffering. But I can bear witness, be with them and share my suffering and allow others to be there for me.

It is also important to allow myself and encourage others to experience the beauty and joy in life and not feel guilty for it. Life is mainly beauty and love. The problem is that this voice doesn’t shout as loudly as destruction and suffering. I was sharing after meditation with friends the other morning and I heard cries of pain, but also joy and laughter. Which ones do we respond to? Both perhaps. It is in our power to choose it seems.

No one can take away the suffering that is a part of life, but we do not have to fall into utter despair. Some things are beyond our power. That said, there is much that is not.

We cannot do everything, but we can do something, it is our task, our duty, our purpose, our meaning, to do so.

The key is to find what is in our power and what is not. To do what we can for the good of others and ourselves, for the good of all. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 9

Black Narcissus’s wider spiritual path Continued from page 11 >

her to soften and become ‘nicer and more human’ than the nun he first met – and possibly marry him?

For me, the story holds a deeper psycho-spiritual truth about the stage along our spiritual journeys of the melting of what we might call the ‘spiritual ego’ or the ‘grandiose/ inflated self’; in that Sister Clodagh’s journey to India had caused her by happenstance to meet a spiritually wise man, whose open-mindedness to the Indian culture was a healing soul education to her Irish-Catholic convent upbringing. During conversations with him, Sister Clodagh had opened her heart to speak openly and tearfully of her ‘shameful’ reason for entering the convent. Mr Dean’s empathetic response to her, in shock and disbelief at her family and community’s rejecting treatment of her, caused her to realise that she had been treated harshly and with misogynistic hypocrisy that women, but not men, were to be ‘without desire’. With the tearful-melting of the shame-narrative held onto tightly and defended against within her own psyche, Sister Clodagh’s healing of childhood shame and trauma could finally begin. Her wounded-shamed ‘ego’ or sense of ‘self’ no longer needed to hide and defend itself under a veneer of superiority as ‘Sister Superior’. So at the end of the film, her healing symbolically revealed a more natural ‘True Self’, as they say in transpersonal psychology, (psychology from the spiritual perspective) that was finally content to be one with her sisters and no longer with any need to be a ‘Sister Superior’.

In many ways, this reminds me of a story I heard told once by an abbot of a Buddhist monastery, in which he revealed that he was surprised to be chosen to be the abbot, as he really didn’t want to be the abbot – but that is exactly why he was chosen. His fellow monks could sense and trust

in the true humility of his ‘True Self’, emptied of ego or personality - the kenosis, or self-emptying of Christian theology.

So, I believe that the deeper meaning of the film is revealing that Sister Clodagh walked the treacherous spiritual high-peak path of painfully healing (what is called in many spiritual circles), ‘the spiritual ego’. This can occur where a person’s sense of self has become unconsciously identified with the spiritual role that they hold for a time. When a person is given spiritual responsibilities (usually because they have such qualities naturally in abundance), it is often accompanied with high expectations of them. So if life’s circumstances later challenge that person, such that they stumble and fall from any pedestal, it can be a very painful puncturing of the spiritual ego to bear indeed – and often accompanied by a burning shame of not living up to the very high standards expected of them in their spiritual role. So, Sister Clodagh, in walking that path of the painful healing of the spiritual ego for us on screen, helps to reveal the archetypal pattern of soul-growth and unfoldment of soul-wisdom that is at play in all aspects of our lives, even and especially, the painful ones.

So, if we think of Sister Clodagh as representing something of a spiritual archetype within us all, as we walk our spiritual journeys of personal soul growth, what ending would you now choose for Sister Clodagh? To take the hand of Mr Dean and live a life as his wife in India, or to return to the convent to live out her days as a simple sister? Or, perhaps you envisage yet another, creative, unexpected ending for Sister Clodagh?

The Rev Jenny Miller is an Interfaith minister and a friend of Godalming Unitarians.

Ann Howell takes social action Continued from page 4 >

and her presence has enriched our lives significantly. And this happened in a year when I lost my mother and had to deal with several health crises of my father. My batteries felt very depleted, but by opening up our family to someone else in crisis, I found there was more love to give. I think this approach can also work within congregations and the movement as a whole.

When should groups contact you – meaning in what stage of their Social Action work?

Groups should feel free to contact me at any stage really!

Even if they don’t know what their focus is or how involved they can be, now is the time to create connections and share ideas. We have also created a UK Unitarian Social Action group on Facebook where people can share their projects and inspiration.

Page 10 | Issue 8055 – 18 March 2023

“Oh, the Unitarians – what are they up to now?!”

What is important to you about this role?

I strongly feel that on-theground community development and organising is where we have an opportunity to share our Unitarian values and grow the movement organically.

What will your success look like?

I hope that in 5 years’ time, our congregations, societies, and groups will be strongly networked and supported around social action and that our churches around the UK will be known as hubs for community activism. Success will be when Unitarians show up at a meeting around a social justice issue, and the question isn’t, ‘Oh, the Unitarians who are they again?’ but, ‘Oh, the Unitarians – what are they up to now?!’

Jenny Miller writes of ‘Black Narcissus’ and the spiritual edge

A perfumed path

Shown above: Jean Kerr in Black Narcissus. Public Domain via Wikimedia

The heady perfume that gives the film ‘Black Narcissus’ its name, exudes a ‘warning scent’ for missionary zeal.

Of course, evangelism has been the hallmark of traditional Christian crusades and missionaries for centuries and the film ‘Black Narcissus’ tells of such a tale of a group of missionary nuns sent to establish a convent school for village children in India and to bring Catholic Christianity into their lives there: in the formidable context of an old Indian Palace, decorated with Indian-Hindu erotic paintings, and where a Hindu Saddhu or Holy Man is seated in deep meditation for hours on the high mountain ridge.

The film has been produced in different eras and with slight variations on theme, but essentially the film charts the spiritual life of Sister Clodagh, who entered the Convent, supposedly ‘by mistake’, rather than religious vocation, (although perhaps there are no mistakes!) after falling in love with a boy in Ireland who had no intention of marrying her and left her for a new life in America. The shame of this in a small Irish village at the time meant Clodagh felt she had to leave her village as everyone knew of her unrequited love story. So, she entered the convent by default and with a starting point of a shamefilled broken ego or, we might say, a diminished sense of self – certainly not a psychologically healthy ego or anchored, individuated sense of self, in the way in which the word ‘ego’ or ‘self’ can be used in modern psychology today. However, psychological understanding of ego/self, is different to the use of ‘Self’ with a capital ‘S’ in some religions, (especially Buddhism and Hinduism’s Advaita Vedanta), as the annihilation of the ego/self equates to the Hindu Sadhu’s state of ‘Self-Realisation’, or ‘Divine Illumination’ or ‘Union with God/Divine Being’, as represented by the Sadhu in ‘Black Narcissus’.

The young Sister Clodagh quickly becomes, (to echo a famous verse about the novice Maria from ‘The Sound of Music’), an ‘Asset to the Abbey’. We can imagine that Sister Clodagh was very bright, could study and teach well and even had a great singing voice for the convent choir.

She was so talented that she was eventually chosen to lead a group of missionary nuns to India as the youngest ever ‘Sister Superior’ of the Order – Sister Clodagh was flattered indeed and could not hide her sense of superiority at being chosen to hold the exulted title of the

youngest Sister Superior, which her Mother Superior saw in her face and expressed concern that she was really too young for the role; in charge of many other older (and wiser) Sisters in the Order – and, Mother Superior proved to be quite right – as the story unfolds...

The Indian Palace atop a high mountainous ridge proved to be a cold and barren place, beset with difficulties in settling in with the villagers’ customs and beliefs and, needless to say, unhappiness grew amongst the sisters, especially with Sister Ruth, whose infatuation with the dashing estate manager Mr Dean, causes her to struggle competitively with Sister Clodagh (whom Mr Dean had actually fallen in love with) and fall to her untimely death.

The scandal reverberates throughout the valley and the sisters are forced to move away and return to their convent.

A touching, enigmatic scene at the end reveals the loving affection that had developed between Sister Clodagh and Mr Dean, as their hands touch upon parting for the first time (not allowed in the Order) and Mr Dean asks her, concernedly, what will become of her in the order after this. Sister Clodagh bows her head and sigh-smiles, saying that she will return to the order, just to see out her days as ‘just one of the sisters – never again a Sister Superior’, with an expression, as I saw it, of saddened-yet-wiserelief!

The film ends with the cliff-hanger-dilemma of what we, as viewers, might prefer to happen to Sister Clodagh; whether to return to the Catholic order to live out her days as a humble sister, or to take the hand of Mr Dean, whose pragmatic philosophical wisdom and empathy had opened her heart to wider spiritual truths in India, helping < Continued on page 10 www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 11

Under new management A new centre management team began work at the Nightingale Unitarian Conference Centre at Great Hucklow. Amanda Janoyer and Mandi Muggeson, took up their new roles in January.

Mandi expands her present part-time position as Finance Administrator to Finance and Projects Manager. Amanda is the new Operations and Centre Manager. They are looking forward to working in partnership and can’t wait to begin contributing to the future success of the Nightingale Centre.

Mandi and Amanda are eager to get to know people and will both be attending the Unitarian General Assembly Meetings in April in Northamptonshire where they hope to have the chance to say hello and share their plans for the centre. Of course, they will also be delighted to take your bookings!

Shown below: Amanda Janoyer (right) and Mandi Muggeson

Shown above: (l-r) Kieren Mardle-Moss, Tina Gandhi and Janine Sim

New ministry students

The Unitarian General Assembly recently announced three candidates for ministerial training: Kieren Mardle-Moss, Tina Gandhi, and Janine Sim. Chief Officer Liz Slade welcomed them saying, ‘Ministry is the kind of leadership our world needs more of right now, and so I am excited and grateful to see Janine, Kieren and Tina begin their training towards becoming Unitarian ministers.

‘As demonstrated by these three new students, people from all walks of life and professional backgrounds find themselves called to serving the spiritual health of communities and align their vocation to the greater good. I applaud their courage and integrity in committing themselves to this journey and look forward to working with them.’

Helen Mason, Director of Unitarian College commented, ‘We are delighted to welcome Janine, Kieren and Tina as our fifth intake of ministry students at Unitarian College, joining the 13 others who have or are undertaking ministry training with us. We are very excited about the potential of these three excellent new students.’

The Rev Ant Howe, ministry tutor, added, ‘It will be my honour to journey with these three new students as they build on the calling that they have been bold enough to answer. ’ Rory Castle Jones

New book on eco-spirituality Cherishing the Earth – Nourishing the Spirit is a new book which presents a range of Unitarian responses to the global environmental crisis. Contributors include ministers, lay people, and children, writing from diverse theological and ethical perspectives, exploring what it might mean to live in right relationship with the Earth. Their insights range from the prophetic and political to the practical and intensely personal, but all share a sense of gratitude for the sacred gift of life.

As the Quaker writer and activist Alastair McIntosh says in the book’s foreword ‘Some will ask: “What use is spirituality now? What is the practical use of a book like this?” My short answer is: because we need to reconsider how to live.’

The book’s editor Maria Curtis asks what changes we need to make in ourselves and in our society if we are to work towards healing the Earth and restoring balance to the

global ecosystem: ‘We need to re-imagine what a healthy relationship between humanity and the natural world might look like, one conducive to the flourishing of all beings on Earth.’

The chapters are interspersed with poems, prayers, and short rituals. Each chapter ends with questions for reflection and discussion, providing a resource for study by individuals or small groups.

A full book review will be published in a later Inquirer.

Cherishing the Earth – Nourishing the Spirit is published on 4 April by The Lindsey Press. Orders may be placed online from 4 April here: https://www.unitarian.org.uk/shop/ and after 12 April from Unitarian Headquarters at Essex Hall: tel. 020 7240 2384. Price: £12.00 plus p&p. www.inquirer.org.uk | Page 12