Bless the land
Be not afraid, O land (Joel 2:21)
Joel's order of interest is land, animals, people. The people are even named after a place, for they are 'of Zion'. The land, the soil, the rock, the country come first to be assuaged of fear. Only after come its people. It is unlikely any of us would have this as our order in today's crisis. For us people are the first, foremost and often only thought for safety and security. Are we right?
As you know if you are reading this blog, I am re-reading JRR Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings. In it The Shire is almost a character in its own right. It represents all that is decent and worth defending against the original Dark Lord, Sauron. The very ignorance of the shire-folk as to the threat they are under is held valuable. The simplicity of rural life acquires a significance all of its own, as a symbol of why it is worth sacrificing all in a noble cause. Just so, in Rupert Brooke's The Soldier English country life attains a similar significance. It is not cities or industry that is brought to a 'some corner of a foreign field' but a love of flowers and footpaths and rivers and sunshine. For both writers, we are made by our roots in our own land. We are the product not so much of schooling and experience, but of countryside and scenery. Land comes first. Are they right?
I suspect the answer is yes and yes. It is possible for both to be right. People are rightly foremost in our concerns, but we are foolish to see them as separate from the land, the geography of the country in which they live. While this is obviously true in an academic sense, it is also true in an emotional and spiritual sense. Being locked in takes us away from ourselves as well as our country, for the two are inseparable.
So, when we start to pick up the shattered pieces of each other's mental well-being, it might be wise to realise how much we need to connect to the land around us. We probably don't really need to go to more shops, but we do need to visit our favourite spots. We probably don't really need someone to trim our hair, but we do need to get more fresh air. When we are let out, let us get out; stay safe but stay out. The land probably doesn't need to be calmed down but we do.
Joel's order of interest is land, animals, people. The people are even named after a place, for they are 'of Zion'. The land, the soil, the rock, the country come first to be assuaged of fear. Only after come its people. It is unlikely any of us would have this as our order in today's crisis. For us people are the first, foremost and often only thought for safety and security. Are we right?
As you know if you are reading this blog, I am re-reading JRR Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings. In it The Shire is almost a character in its own right. It represents all that is decent and worth defending against the original Dark Lord, Sauron. The very ignorance of the shire-folk as to the threat they are under is held valuable. The simplicity of rural life acquires a significance all of its own, as a symbol of why it is worth sacrificing all in a noble cause. Just so, in Rupert Brooke's The Soldier English country life attains a similar significance. It is not cities or industry that is brought to a 'some corner of a foreign field' but a love of flowers and footpaths and rivers and sunshine. For both writers, we are made by our roots in our own land. We are the product not so much of schooling and experience, but of countryside and scenery. Land comes first. Are they right?
I suspect the answer is yes and yes. It is possible for both to be right. People are rightly foremost in our concerns, but we are foolish to see them as separate from the land, the geography of the country in which they live. While this is obviously true in an academic sense, it is also true in an emotional and spiritual sense. Being locked in takes us away from ourselves as well as our country, for the two are inseparable.
So, when we start to pick up the shattered pieces of each other's mental well-being, it might be wise to realise how much we need to connect to the land around us. We probably don't really need to go to more shops, but we do need to visit our favourite spots. We probably don't really need someone to trim our hair, but we do need to get more fresh air. When we are let out, let us get out; stay safe but stay out. The land probably doesn't need to be calmed down but we do.
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| Hill country north of Florence, Italy |
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