By Alastair Reid
As I write, looking out over a valley in the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and watching the many species of birds on the bird table just outside, (as you will have surmised, I’m on holiday), I’m astonished to see I have a much better mobile phone signal than I do at home in Cambridgeshire. My first observation is that access to technology is a major demand of our lives, hopefully not more valuable than appreciating the views, peace and privilege of being able to take leave and to be able to afford to travel and stay somewhere.
My second, is that the measure of time has changed, there now seems to be thirty-six hours, rather than fourteen in the day and this just after two days.
The bird’s activity could be seen as a microcosm of our lives, needs, demands and satisfaction, the bird table has many feeding stations, it is well stocked yet they squabble. The young sit close by, even though they are perfectly capable of feeding themselves their parents have to bring them their food.
This brought me onto thoughts of dependence and interdependence. No matter how independent we think we are, we are dependent. I’d never thought about how much of my life simply couldn’t happen without these dependent interactions, this, these and that, ( if you get my drift) and what is almost shocking is the extent, depth and range of these dependencies, and I think of myself as independent.
Dependency and Interconnectedness are exquisitely linked. John Donne, a notably complex individual, (how did he understand so much about humanity), expressed this well in his thought, ‘none of us are an island, entire of themselves, everyone being part of the continent, being part of the main’, (excuse the revision of the words for the purpose of this discussion). He was of course arguing the case for the interconnectedness of all people with God; however, the thought firmly applies to interconnectedness between us and our today necessary and voluntary interactions.
A significant element about dependence and interdependence is support. Everyone needs this, no matter how independent we may think we are. Support takes many forms, help with exams, directions to the station, a bit of cash to see someone through, comfort whilst ill, the list is endless. Our societies have survived and grown because of learning how to work together and support each other, from earliest times, evidenced noticeably in areas such as where I’m staying where there are many Neolithic sites, some in the most beautiful and inhospitable locations.
In our modern (so called) way of life, support is as important as ever. Destitution, health, disability, other critical impacts need the provision of resources. It should be a given that these resources are available, but as we know they can be difficult, if not impossible, to access. Our Cambridgeshire Chaplains, (as they are throughout the UK), are an important part of this resource structure.
That’s why we at CWC think it important to promote the benefits of Chaplaincy in all its manifestations, to support Chaplains and find ways to reach out to individuals seeking a Chaplain.
Alastair Reid – Chair CWC