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August
I was privileged to take part in a very ancient ceremony
not so long ago. It happened as my son was awarded his degree at
Cambridge University. Although the university is at the forefront
of modern technology and thinking, it was interesting to step back
in time and be a spectator at a ceremony that has its roots steeped
in history. There were officials present with such titles as Praelector,
Esquire Bedell, Proctor and Pro-Proctor, and a traditional ritual
was enacted before us in the Senate House as each student was firstly
presented to the College Master as worthy of the honour being bestowed
on them, and then knelt before the Master for a blessing.
In many ways I could have dismissed the whole show as outmoded and
in need of radical updating to bring it screaming into the 21st
century, but I can’t because it was a really special moment
and will remain a fond memory for many years.
Yes, it was a bit over-the-top and theatrical but what it did was
connect those students and their parents to generations of others
who have walked the same path of learning, knelt in the same way
and heard those same Latin words intoned over them. And that link
to the past is something to be encouraged, not rejected. It’s
an acknowledgement of a debt owed.
In so many areas of life we find the ‘old’ dismissed
as belonging to the past, and we are encouraged to encompass the
‘new’ because it is more relevant and meaningful. But
we reject the past at our peril, because within it is a wealth of
experience and learning. Human beings are fallible - you may not
have discovered that yet but believe me, I know it to be true! I
learn quite often through my mistakes, and through these often painful
experiences I hopefully have grown in character and maturity. It’s
these lessons that I try to pass on to my children because I don’t
want them to make the same errors. Of course, they’ll go right
out and make their own unique mistakes, but then that’s life!
What we do in our daily life and work is soak up the accumulated
experiences and wisdom of others and then use and adapt them for
our own purposes. I do this particularly when I’m designing
adverts for my company – I take the best points from various
other companies’ ads, ignore what I consider to be their failings
and blend that knowledge into an effective campaign for us.
The same is true in my spiritual life. I would not have the faith
that I do now if it hadn’t been for the teaching and experience
of a host of Christians long since departed this life who have left
their mark on history. From the writings of the apostle Paul to
John Wesley, C.S. Lewis, Oswald Chambers and so many more - each
has had an influence on my understanding and left their mark on
my individual faith. Without those saints living out their faith
in a very real and public way, and passing on their wisdom through
words and actions, I would be struggling to understand the Scriptures
and vulnerable to all the strange belief systems that pervade our
world at this time.
What I don’t do is cling to that past, and I think that is
important. I acknowledge my debt to those who have played no small
part in helping me to be the person I am today, but I look to the
future and how I can go forward and be a positive influence for
others. That way I can hopefully repay, in part, the debt I owe
and maybe even show a small profit!
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