My dear fellow pilgrims,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Joyce and I are now safely home after our six day voyage on the Edinburgh from Tristan to Cape Town. The weather was good, the sea calm and we were blessed to share, for those few days, something of the life of Captain Clarence and his large crew who had been fishing for crayfish off Tristan and Gough islands for the past three months. It was remarkable to see the fishermen, taking advantage of the fair weather, firstly to thoroughly clean the ship and then to repaint every part of the superstructure. We docked on Sunday afternoon, which allowed us time to celebrate the Eucharist on board with almost the entire crew, despite having to cope with the ‘Cape rollers.’ My ‘challenge’ to the crew was to show the same care for their respective families when they arrived home as that which we had seen them lavishing on their ship.
‘The old ways’.
I want to begin this Post Tristan Reflection with a quote from a book, ‘Back to Tristan’ by Arne Folkronne. In 1963, Mrs Victoria Glass, when asked in England why she wanted to return to Tristan after having been evacuated from the island two years earlier as a result of the volcanic eruption her reply was; ‘We’ll remain true to the old ways which are typical of the Tristan islanders’
‘And what are they, Mrs Glass?’
‘Why, finding contentment whatever life brings, being friends with one another, knowing we can find happiness only if our neighbours are happy. Our work on the sea and in the fields, sometimes in danger, binds us together and opens our eyes to the little things of the day which makes life worthwhile. Without joy over small things, where is the value of life? We shall not find contentment here in England but just drift on aimlessly. That’s why we must go home – and the sooner the better.’ (Page 139)
The ‘old ways’ which Victoria Glass referred to are of course not simply ‘Tristan ways’ but are deeply Christian ways so I want to highlight some of the points which Victoria made way back in 1963.
1. Contentment. Which is of course what Paul wrote about in his letter to the Philippians. ‘I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances’ and ‘I have learned the secret of being content’ (Philippians 4; 11 & 12) So much of our life can be a striving after that which is not of God and only when we find fulfilment in our lives in Christ Jesus will we find the contentment which Paul and Victoria speak of.
2. ‘Finding happiness only if our neighbours are happy’ and ‘being friends with one another’ Is that not what John was alluding to when he wrote; ‘Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought also to love one another?’ The Xhosa understanding of ‘ubuntu’ has also helped us to understand that we are bound together in our common humanity and that we will never find happiness without seeking, in Christ Jesus, to bring happiness to those around us.
3. ‘Opens our eyes to the little things’ The final words of St David of Wales to his fellow monks was; ‘Be happy and keep your faith and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do’ (Saints of the Isles by Ray Simpson Page 103) What are those ‘little things’ that Victoria and Saint David speak of? I would like to suggest that they are the ‘little virtues’ that Francis de Sales wrote about in the seventeenth century, namely gentleness, kindness, patience simplicity and mutual regard. I do believe that it is the practice of those ‘little hidden virtues’ that goes a long way to ‘make life worthwhile’ as Victoria wrote and as Jesus exhorted his disciples; ‘……..learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.’ (Matthew 11; 29)
4. ‘Without joy over small things where is the value of life?’ Matthew tells us that the women who not only heard the message of the angel but also met the risen Jesus outside the tomb on that first Easter morning were ‘afraid yet filled with joy’ (Matthew 28; 8 – 9) Joy is a fruit of having encountered the risen Christ and an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5;22) Joy not only in the ‘big’ events of our lives but joy in the beauty of a flower, in the smile of a neighbour and the laughter of a child. It is not surprising that Mother Teresa of Calcutta required her Sisters of Charity to be ‘people who smile.’
5. Honouring God. Though Victoria Glass doesn’t mention it in her summary of ‘the old ways’, elsewhere in Arne Falkronne’s book, ‘Back to Tristan’ Willie Repetto, one of the leaders of the Islanders in England said; ‘….. that the lava (in the 1961 volcanic eruption) had stopped half a yard from the farthest house in the settlement cannot be other than God’s work. By this He has shown us that we can and shall return. (Page 25-26) The islanders saw very clearly that God had saved them at the time of the volcanic eruption and that He would therefore protect them on their return and in the years to come. For the people of Tristan God’s hand in saving them at the time of the volcano was something akin to God’s saving act at the Red Sea. How much more are we, who know God’s saving act not only at the Red Sea, in the volcano but supremely in His victory on the cross to honour Him in all that we do. The Psalmist writes; ‘Honour Him for he is your Lord’ (Psalm 45 ; 11) Part of my challenge to the people of St Mary’s Church on our final Sunday on the island was that they never forget or loose sight of the fact that their leaders in 1961 recognised God’s hand in saving them at that time and of their need, and our need, to honour Him.
6. Communion of the Saints. One of the things which struck Joyce and me on the island was the way in which the cemeteries were cared for. Every grave was clearly marked with the details of the deceased, the grass around the graves was trimmed and almost all the graves were bedecked with an array of colourful silk flowers. In addition to the well kept graves we became aware, in speaking to the islanders, of their understanding of ‘the living dead’. The writer to the Hebrews refers to our being surrounded by a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ as we ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ (Hebrews 12;1) I sense that the islanders somehow have a clearer understanding of the communion of the saints than many of today’s Christians. I do believe that we can learn from them.
I guess that you can understand why Joyce and I were somewhat heart-sore to bid farewell to our sisters and brothers on the Island of Tristan da Cunha after so short a stay.
Let me end with a beautiful and challenging Celtic prayer.
God my Father,
Encouraged by your cloud of witnesses,
Help me to take your Word deep into my soul.
To live it out, bravely, freely, creatively.
To be cheerful when I want to complain
To be patient when I want to flare up
To push on when I want to stand still
To be silent when I want to prattle
To love when I want to harden my heart.
All this I ask in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Ray Simpson (Adapted)
With every blessing in Christ Jesus.
+Eric.
