Posts from — October 2005

Another day of late trains! I got to Radley station this morning for the 08:11 train to Didcot to hear talk amongst other passengers about cancelled and late trains. The train was about 10 minutes late. When we got to Didcot, the screens showed trains cancelled or heavily delayed. It turned out that there was a major signal failure in the Twyford area (between Reading and London) and there was a major snarl up.

So what to do? Try for London and risk missing my meeting? Go home and miss the meeting anyway? I went to Platform 2 and found a train that was about to start from London. It was crowded, but I found a space next to the door. Shortly we set off for Reading. The train manager told us about the signal failure and said we could change at Reading and travel to Waterloo. I decided not to do this. I’ve done that before and it took almost a couple of hours to get to the wrong part of London. So I sat on the train - actually I acquired a seat near the middle of the carriage because another passenger decided to get off and try for Waterloo - and eventually we set off, crawled past Twyford with a pilotman, and then went off at full speed, to arrive about 45 minutes after the time I would have arrived had the trains been running to schedule.

I got to my meeting about 30 minutes late.

When I got back to Paddington this evening to get my train home (aiming for the 17:18), there were crowds of people looking at the departure boards (always a bad sign). Trains were cancelled or delayed. Why this time? Signal failure near Airport Junction.

I got onto the delayed 17:00 to Bristol. We started at about 17:10, crawled in a queue of trains to Hayes and Harlington (the fast lines were closed to that point), and then went at full speed to Reading. Arrived at Didcot just after 18:00, the normal arrival time for the 17:18.

Sorry to be complaining about the trains again, but this is the second day this week that I’ve travelled by train and the timetable has been out of kilter for one reason or another. You can never know, when you set out, whether or not you will arrive on time.

Fortunately it was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Turned out to be the warmest October day on record.

Technorati Tags: railway, trains

Erica and I joined the staff outing (Baha’i National Office and Baha’i Books UK) in visiting the British Museum’s wonderful Forgotten Empire exhibition about ancient Iran. The exhibition includes some exquisite items: sculpture, silverware, gold, coins, cuneiform tablets, and so on, mostly from the Achaemenid empire, the largest the world had seen up to that time, covering some 3 million square miles from North Africa to the Indus Valley.

Inevitably the great palaces, such as that at Persepolis, were vast. Size mattered when the King was the King of Kings and everything in the empire depended on the king. The royal palaces had to overawe the empire’s subject peoples. But alongside the obsession with gigantism, there were many small, elegant and beautifully crafted objects.

The ancient Persians were consummate diplomats and administrators. They allowed diversity of religion to flourish within the empire. But they took tribute from all their subject peoples and accumulated wealth at the centre. The exhibition said nothing about the lives of the ordinary peoples other than as providers of tribute and subjects of this mighty empire. There were glimpses: one part of the empire had to provide so many hundreds of boys to be eunuchs. The blood runs cold at the thought.

Inevitably this empire fell, as so all empires. Alexander of Macedon, whom we know as ‘Alexander the Great’ and Iranians as ‘Alexander the savage’ destroyed the empire and razed Persepolis. One of the fascinations of this exhibition is that it gives an account of a period of history we tend to learn about from Greek and Roman accounts. This exhibition provides a whole different perspective.

It was interesting to hear the comments of the Iranian Baha’is we were with. This is their heritage and, rightly, they are proud of it.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, education, Iran, British Museum

I represented the Baha’i community at this afternoon’s service in St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations.

The service, which took place in the presence of HMQ and Prince Phillip, was billed as “A Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication to Celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary of the United Nations Organization”. It was stirring stuff: fanfares, hymns with tunes arranged by Vaughan Williams (and others), an excellent sermon by the Bishop of London, lessons read by Prince Phillip and the Prime Minister, personal reflections by Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, and reaffirmation of the values that inspired the founders of the UN.

In a time when it would be all too easy to be sceptical about the UN, it is important to retain a vision of how the world may be a better place, with unity and justice rather than conflict and injustice as its ruling themes. Paddy Ashdown referred to the vision of the UN founders as being to build a new world order. This phrase has a rather different vibe for me as a Baha’i. Baha’u'llah’s vision of a new world order does not stop with a talking shop for nation states, but goes way beyond that to a global civilization (not to be conflated with the economic globalization that is currently so much an object of criticism and objection).

The UN has been a hugely important step on the way and could continue to help us towards the vision of a united world, but it has to be reformed. The Baha’i International Community has put out an excellent statement for the 60th anniversary of the UN, The Search for Values in an Age of Transition. Well worth reading.

In his sermon, Richard Chartres made a very interesting statement that resonates with the Universal House of Justice’s Message to the World’s Religious Leaders (April 2002):

I believe that religious leaders in particular have not with honourable exceptions risen to the challenge of our time with sufficient passion or urgency. In contrast to the efforts of scientists and many business interests world wide the global religious network is fragmented and underdeveloped. The initiative of the previous Pope in summoning a gathering of leaders of the world?s faith communities to Assisi to pray for world peace shows what can be done with determined leadership. It is an example which we need to follow since mere appeals to ethical fraternity without the energy of faith do not seem to generate the dynamic for change which is required.

Spot on!

I’m going to allow the Bishop of London the final word in this entry:

Soon we are going to bind ourselves afresh to some of the ideals which animated the architects of the UN in an act of dedication and commitment to the future. Please God we shall do so in a serious, joyful and hopeful spirit which all in this Cathedral can share. In the words of Paul, ?Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.? Amen. Amen.

Technorati Tags: church, politics, religion, Royal Family, UN

St Bega’s church, Bassenthwaite Lake

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This ancient church is dedicated to St Bega, an Irish virgin who is reputed to have lived part of her live as an anchoress at St Bees in Cumbria. Her cult centred on the Benedictine priory of St Bees, but is also to be found elsewhere in Cumbria, for example at this little church in the middle of a field by Bassenthwaite Lake. The church has, apparently, no connection with St Bees Priory.

Erica and I came across St Bega’s church on the first day of our walking holiday in the Lake District.

Technorati Tags: church, Lake District

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Ravenstone Lodge near Keswick

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This picture reminds me of a wonderful walking holiday Erica and I had in the Lake District in April 2003. We stayed at this four-star guest house above Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick. Ravenstone Lodge was really rather luxurious and the food was wonderful and very fattening.

We quickly found out why the Lake District is a walkers’ paradise. There are so many routes, some very challenging and some, as suited us, rather less so.

Technorati Tags: church, Lake District

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Erica and I spent much of the day in Northampton yesterday, visiting Alex and Charlie. We took A and C and Tom (Vicky was working) out to lunch at a pub in Moulton.

Ethan was at school and Emily was at nursery. Charlie went to fetch Emily and arrived back just after 3.00pm. As soon as Emily saw Erica and me she rushed to give us hugs and kisses.

Alex, Erica and I then went to fetch Ethan from school - a 5 minute walk from the house. We crowded into the school playground with all the other parents and the kids pouring out of class. Ethan came out and had words with another little boy, who complained to Alex. Alex told Ethan he had to say sorry and that he should be nice to the other children. Where was his coat? Ethan went back in to get his coat. Came out again, suddenly twigged that grandpa and grandma were there and rushed over to hug my knees.

We all went to see Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at The Vue cinema in the centre of Northampton. Another of Aardman Animations masterpieces, although I?m not sure that it works so well on the big screen as on TV. Anyway, it was a wonderful pastiche of various film genres (werewolf movies, King Kong, horror movies, upper-crust English costume dramas and others); it was full of knowing jokes, witty asides, funny touches. The funniest - for me anyway - came near the end of the film when Wallace, apparently dead, is revived by the whiff of some ?Stinking Bishop? cheese; he is naked (having just reverted from were-rabbit to his ?human? form) and Lady (?call me Totty?) Tottington (Helena Bonham-Carter of course) finds a cardboard box to cover his embarrassment; Wallace holds the box over his nether regions and there, in the strategic place, is a label saying ?May contain nuts?. Childish, I know, but, hey, I was with my grandchildren. (Not that they would have understood that particular joke: Ethan is just learning to read, Emily is 3 and not yet reading; and, anyway, they?re too young to get it.)

Read the reviews. Go see it. Enjoy ?Woppit and Groppit? (Emily?s rendition of the film title).

Technorati Tags: animation, cinema, film, aardman, wallaceandgromit

What a nightmare getting to and from London yesterday. I chose to go from Didcot Parkway because I would be returning late at night and trains stopping at Radley are thin on the ground at that time. Miss one and you?re stuck for an hour.

As I walked from the station car park at Didcot to the station itself, I saw one HST (High Speed Train) drawn up in Platform 3. At first I thought it was a Hereford train, but then I saw its tail lights and realized it was a London train. Bad sign, I thought. No sooner had I thought that than another London-bound HST came into Platform 4. Nothing was going through Platforms 1 and 2, which are on the fast lines. Very bad sign!

Bought my ticket and went up onto Platform 2. The HST in Platform 3 had left by that time and the one in Platform 4 was pulling out. I decided to hang on for the 10:48, the train I had intended to catch. Just before the train arrived (pretty much on time), there was an announcement to the effect that it would be coming in on Platform 4, so we all rushed down the stairs, under the tracks and up onto Platform 4.

The train dropped a bit of time, but we set off and trundled up the Relief all the way to Reading, slowing here and there, stopping once or twice. The Train Manager told us the fast lines were closed, but no sooner had he said this than a train overtook us on the Up Main and another went through on the Down Main. Absolutely maddening! We were overtaken by several trains before we got to Reading.

Then we were told that the slow running was due to a train that had broken down in Reading station and we were in a queue of trains waiting for a platform.

We sat in a remote platform in Reading for about 5 minutes. An Adelante came in on the fast London platform as we sat there and then left before us.

Thereafter we trundled really slowly up the Relief almost all the way to Paddington, while other trains shot past us on the Up Main. Lousy regulation, if you ask me. We arrived some 54 minutes late on a 45 minute journey. Needless to say we were just short of the one hour late that triggers the first level of compensation.

Coming back, we crawled down the Relief from Reading and arrive about 10 minutes down at Didcot - essential engineering works, allegedly, caused this particular delay.

I think the train operators should prominently post a telephone number that passengers - oh, sorry, ?customers? - can call and shout at while the train is in the process of being late.

Technorati Tags: railway, trains

After the meeting at 1 Millbank yesterday, by chance I met Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) on Westminster Underground station. We greeted each other cordially and had a cordial conversation as we travelled, he to Sloane Square and I to Paddington.

The MCB is having to deal with the fall-out from the terrible earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir. Very many of the Muslim families in the UK originate from Pakistan, and of those, quite a proportion have their family links in the devastated area of Kashmir.

I told him about the William Temple Foundation meeting I had just attended. We agreed that there was much that our communities can contribute to UK society, given half a chance.

Nothing hugely significant, but another strengthening of the bonds of friendship - a key element in “religious capital”.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, politics, religion

I took part yesterday afternoon in a meeting called by the William Temple Foundation about their research on the notion of “religious capital”. The phrase was coined to link to the concept of “social capital”, which is frequently used in discourse about regeneration and community development. The meeting took place at the Church Commissioners, 1 Millbank.

Hannah Skinner and Chris Baker of the William Temple Foundation started by outlining their research programme. They explained that, to date, most of their research had been with churches and church-based groups and communities, but now they wanted to extend the discourse to include non-Christian faiths. As it happened, I was the only non-Christian representative at the meeting. Brian Pearce was there for the Inter Faith Network; there were a couple of people from the Church Urban Fund, and a community theologian.

On the way to London I had skimmed through Secret of Divine Civilization (SDC) to remind myself what ‘Abdu’l-Baha says are the foundations of regeneration and community development. I was able to draw on this in my contributions to the discussion.

‘Abdu’l-Baha states that knowledge is the foundation of civilization. By knowledge He refers both to the spiritual knowledge given us by the Manifestations of God and to rational, scientific knowledge. These two strands are complementary and we need them both if we are to develop a new, global civilization. We have to use the instrumentalities of science and technology as well as the values and spiritual sustenance from the Word of God.

Clearly, such an emphasis on knowledge implies that education becomes a central activity in development, education that addresses every aspect of the human being: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical. Education should give people self-respect, noble purposes, high resolve, integrity, moral qualities and “immaculacy of mind” - an interesting phrase to be found on page 19 of SDC.

In my interventions I also referred to the solidarity and spiritual strength of faith communities. This is deeply rooted and, paradoxically, is strengthened by challenge. It would seem to be one of the key elements of religious capital. There are dangers if the solidarity becomes tribal in nature - to be healthy and balanced it needs to remain open and communities need to build bridges.

It is difficult to language this solidarity in a way that is accessible to government. And this is not the only mismatch between religion and government. None of us were particularly happy with the phrase “religious capital”, but could accept that it linked with the notion of “social capital” and thus could be acceptable to government. But, as with all metaphors, there is a danger of hypostatization, that “religious capital” may come to be seen as a “thing” that can be accumulated, accounted for, checked off against criteria and so on. This is really not a picture or a language that people of faith use or feel sufficiently represents the nature of what faith communities do.

Furthermore, faith communities and governments work to completely different time scales. Governments need to get things done in 3-5 years; governments are “initiative” driven. Faith communities have been around for a long time - thousands of years in some cases - and are going to be around for a long time. They are not initiative driven, but are more concerned with the rhythm and pattern of life and with relationship to God and to our fellow human beings.

It’s at this point that we begin to think about service to our fellow humans. Service, being of service, without hope of reward is central to all faiths. What could be more central to an understanding of “religious capital” than this?

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, development, education, knowledge, politics, religion

Parkfields House

Originally uploaded by John Barnabas.

This is where the National Spiritual Assembly met over the weekend of 7-9 October 2005. It is a really delightful country house that is run as a conference centre. We had sole use and were wonderfully treated during our stay. It is so peaceful (apart from some very loud cows) and in a beautiful part of the English countryside, not far from the Welsh border. Very conducive to meditation and reflection.

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