Hello everyone, I’ve a photograph for you today. Happy Easter. And it was taken on 1 February 2017 – some of you may recognise it. Glasgow, this ‘Dear Green Place’, is famous for its parks, and this is from the largest of them, and from Pollok Country Park. Which has so much to offer. I was surprised to learn last year that it was deemed underused. Even with the Burrell Collection closed at the moment, it’s well worth a visit
You can be there and believe you’re in the middle of the countryside. This was a sight that took me aback, and maybe you can see why. I would love to have been able to ask the gardener if the symbolism was intentional or not. For what struck me right away was that this mightn’t have been just an old boat put to use now as a planter, but that it was actually telling a story and making a statement.
The most obvious thing about it from this angle – and this is what drew me to it right away – is that the masts are like ‘three crosses stark against an anguished sky’ (is the way the Old English ‘Dream of the Rood’ has been translated). Their emptiness now, though, a symbol of Easter, and of the resurrection.
The next thing is the ship itself. Glasgow achieved its worldwide fame as a city that built ships. Our patron saint, Saint Andrew, was a fisherman first before he was then called by Christ to become a fisher of men (and women) instead. And from the time of the Early Church ships have been Christian symbols of safety, and of the Church itself. The logo of the World Council of Churches is simply a ship with the word Oikoumene written above it, which means ‘inhabited world’.
I like the portholes. They remind of all those figures at the base of the cross on Good Friday. And we could compile a list: Jesus’ mother, Mary; Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons; the Roman Centurion who proclaimed, ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God;’ and so on; Joseph of Arimathea; passers-by. All of whom now in different places – in the Garden of Gethsemane, in a locked room, and on the shores of Lake Galilee are just discovering the truth that ‘Jesus is alive!’
And then there’s the flora. As you can see there aren’t any leaves on any of the trees – yet. There are no flowers in the three flowerpots set against the hedge in the background – yet! And there’s no colour (other than green) either underneath or sprouting out of the ship – yet. But soon, buds will appear on the trees, plants will appear from the flowerpots, and flowers will open their petals and bloom – on board this ship.
As I finally mention (and yet there may be even richer symbolism than that which I’ve been able to enunciate), the bowsprit showing us a Church and a people who are going somewhere today – who are pointing in the right direction, towards God and Christ
Let us pray: God, the opening following its refurbishment of the Burrell Collection has necessarily been postponed until next year now due to coronavirus. Some of us love it for the way we are able to stand in front of medieval stained glass panels commissioned by churches and wonder at the Biblical tales many of them they tell. That we are unable to do so for the time being serving, however, we pray to heighten our enjoyment of such pursuits once we are able to partake of them once again,
Amen.
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