Scotch College

Chaplain's page June 1999

The routine is like clockwork. The boys have been listening carefully. The assembly was hushed and almost still.

The prefect ended the reading with the familiar words 'Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.' The boys' muffled response 'as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen' is accompanied by a glance up for the number of the morning hymn. How does this ancient trinitarian formula relate to life? Several scenes went through my mind.

After junior school assembly a colleague whose wife is newly pregnant spoke to me. It was a moving moment of disclosure. I was delighted at the news and honoured at the trust. The anticipation of a child is a moment of intense joy but also of delicate vulnerability. Later I also took the time to recommend vitamin B6 to Ros Edmanson. It's supposed to help with morning sickeness. Alas, it did no good. Ah well. New persons have wonderous and complex origins!

Three persons one God cannot be imagined. Catherine LaCugna, in her book 'God for Us' talks about the dynamic interplay of persons within the Trinity. She says this inter-communion is foundational for human personality and human society.

Alan Shugg visited the common room recently. He said he was really enjoying retirement. So much time and so many things to enjoy! Although there was a down side he said, a fragmentary grief. In moments when he missed the fellowship of former colleagues he conceded a sense of loss. I imagined I too could miss the daily interaction with such a range of informed and interesting persons.

I deliberately watched to see what happened one recess. The room was buzzing with conversation as usual. Sometimes I join one or other of the tables, but often it's convenient to remain standing at recess. This is more demanding than it used to be now that recess is longer. However, usually one gets to talk with more people, and if there is someone you especially need to see, it's a good way to do that.

I was standing looking at this scene when Paul Runting approached. Always bright eyed and irrepressibly witty and jovial, he said, 'Hi Rev, how are you today?' This was as bland a greeting as one is everly likely to get from Paul. 'I'm wondering what to write for Great Scot', I replied, which was truth, but not the whole truth. 'Well why not write about the staff', he said, casting his eyes around the room. 'What a great bunch of colleagues'. How could I disagee?

Later, at lunchtime I sat with Graham Parkin. When I ascertained the news about his back, and it wasn't good, he said 'At least its good for starting conversation'. We moved on however. I wanted to enquire of Graham about 'post-modernism'. My own concern about understanding the world of the boys' future is affected by my status as a grandparent. I recall a remark that Yassar Arafat and Menachim Begin gave up terrorist ways to pursue peace peacefully when they were grandparents.

Yes, there's a lot of fellowship in the buzz of the staff common room. Our shared life is both precious and delicate. It should be obvious, but our world is so topsy-turvy that we have to remind ourselves that only persons have value.

We are so easily inclined to treat things as valuable, money, gold, silver, precious stones. We watch interest and foreign exchange rates, median house and share prices, showroom and shop catalogues for bargain prices. All the time our eyes are on objects, mere things. At our best we know that the only reason such things have value is because of the association they have with the people in our lives.

The apostle Paul says in his beautiful farewell to the Corinthians 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you'. Christopher Hall suggests that 'the paradigm for all personhood is to be found in a loving network of relationships that have existed always between Father, Son and Holy Spirit'. I think he's right.

Thinking about our network of family and friends can bring us to the threshold of divine mystery. It's in the old trinitarian formula.

Graham Bradbeer