BIG FOOD RESCUE

Big on the Small Screen

St Peter's appeared on the television today, and may do so again this week, on BBC 1 at 9.15am, in a series called "The Big Food Rescue", which is all about The Felix Project. Readers of the Evening Standard will already be familiar with this excellent project, which collects waste food from businesses and directs it to those feeding the needy. It seems to be an idea whose time has come. This week they are getting five morning slots of documentary on BBC 1 telling their story. Needless to say, there were minor inaccuracies on the voice-over, but never mind. It did show the Lunch Club (and Jacqui) in action, which was good; the bizarre spectacle of the Lunch Club feasting on asparagus had a certain surreal quality, but fortunately they concentrated on nourishing soup, which was a bit simpler to eat. Who knows whether they will use any more of the footage they took: one of our users throwing his plate at his carer perhaps?


An Odd Encounter

I was invited to a reception in the Lord Mayor's Parlour last week, apparently nominated by the councillors, and found myself with a very assorted bunch of people. I was chatting to two locals when someone came over who asked if I was from "The True Church" (the capital letters were implied!) to which I replied that obviously everyone in my business has to think his is the true church. I assumed this was a light-hearted conversational opening, but soon found that they meant it. I wanted to think they were pulling my leg, but this just went on, and it became clear they were not joking, and obviously thought I would be pleased because the True Church, in their view, was the Church of England. Turns out that their taste is for Matins at the Abbey at a civilised hour on a Sunday, so I don't think they will be joining the flock here soon, but I came away marvelling at what some people regard as acceptable discourse. Perhaps it shows how soft and liberal I am, but I don't think claiming absolute truth for one's religious denomination is a normal feature of cocktail party conversation. In the religious melting-pot which is London, we muddle along pretty well with one another, but on the basis that none of us makes truth claims in the public space. You can assume that the practitioners of any religious system believe it to be true, and it is polite not to try to enforce your view on them, because we can live perfectly well side by side; co-existence rather than competition is the way to harmonious relations. The jihadist, of course, would take an opposing view. It might be supposed that my interlocutor would do the same, but I'm not so sure, because I think they didn't mind co-existence as long as we just patronised other faiths.


The Pastor and the Imam

So our film show will be happening on Monday, something for which we owe the (multi-faith) chaplaincy at Wormwood Scrubs a debt. The film comes from Nigeria, and is an encouraging story of reconciliation in a situation where Christians and Muslims sometimes do actually end up killing one another. It is plain that the clerics in the film (and our two friends from the Scrubs) are sincere believers, and not woolly liberals, but they demonstrate that respect and common humanity are at the heart of all religious faith. The film exists online, but we are showing it in the splendour of St Mary Mags at 6.15 on Monday 5th, with a question session and refreshments afterwards.