Craftsman’s art and music’s measure

After a few difficult months, health wise and family wise, we’ve been away in Sicily.

Our visit was based in Marina Di Ragusa on the southern tip of this beautiful island. Here at our lovely hotel, we received a sense of true Sicilian hospitality, they even made Alan a birthday cake! As we travelled around taking in the breathtaking views of sea and sky and felt the warmth of the sun on our bones, we both were of aware of the sense of life lived at different pace, taking time to savour each moment.  So, ok, let’s take time over lunch, let’s take a break in the heat of the day, all the things we need to do will still get done by the end of the day but they will be done at our pace.

 As fans of Inspector Montalbano, we got hooked several years ago on the TV series and the wonderful books by Andrea Camilleri. So, to celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary plus a milestone birthday for Alan we decided to do our own ‘in the footsteps of Montalbano’ pilgrimage.

 One of the things we really loved, (and it seems to be a feature of the Mediterranean life), is the way that children are included. In the evenings walking out along the seafront small children were sharing meals with their parents in open-air restaurants.  They sat at the table and were made to feel welcome.  Ok there was the occasional squall from the odd terrible two- or three-year-old but it was always treated with calm, just a part of a normal rhythm, they often took some ‘breakout time’, a little walk and then came back. The most important thing seemed to be that families could eat and talk together around a table; this is something that many have commented seems to be missing in our individualistic/isolationist society back at home.

Of course, we had to visit a few churches, just to satisfy those at home who assume that clergy on holiday naturally want to spend all their time visiting something they pretty much see every day!

Sicily has some spectacular ones and some beautifully simple ones too.

From the small church of St Maria di Portosalvo in Marina di Ragusa

To the WOW factor of very big church of St Bartholomao in Scicli.

Where the lovely guide, who also seemed to be acting as the tourist office, furnished us with a map of the whole town and was very helpful with info not only on the holy stuff but on our Montalbano project.

In the town square church of St Ignacio, the man on duty explained to me a bit about the history, and between his faltering English and my halting Italian we seemed to make a connection. So much so that at the end of our visit he came after me with a little card in his hand, not for money, but to remind me very passionately of the importance of the story of his church, his faith, his people. As we wandered out onto the street this sparked a question in my mind: in our many beautiful churches back at home when visitors arrive how keen are we to share the story of our church, our faith our people with a similar passion and pride?

Looking around and gazing upwards whether your leanings are towards the Protestant or the Catholic, the High church or the Low you can’t help admiring the sheer beauty of the artwork on display and the effort, devotion, vision and inspiration that went into creating it. For myself as a humble ‘wordsmith’ and a bit of a musician, I stand in awe of those who create tapestries, frescoes, and great vast canvasses which fire our imagination.

Some of the works inspire us, some of them disturb, confront us and expand our boundaries, but that’s what life and faith is all about. The more we learn the more there is to learn, and when we come to the end of our days hopefully there will still be more to learn. As Mahatma Gandhi wrote Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

As I gazed around at these riches and felt very privileged to see them, I was reminded of the words from the famous hymn Angel Voices by Francis Pott (1832-1909)

Yes, we know that thou rejoicest
o’er each work of Thine;
Thou didst ears and hands and voices
for Thy praise design;
craftsman’s art and music’s measure
for Thy pleasure all combine.

And I was also reminded of how much we owe to the gifts of our artists, writers and musicians in lifting our eyes beyond the everyday to glimpse that taste of heaven, the sense of wonder and mystery that fires our imaginings.