Greaves, muskets and breast-plates: it’s re-enactment time. Soldiers from the days of Alexander the Great and the Peninsular War are in action again. We are a nostalgic nation. We are fond of our feudal past and its accoutrements and we are good at putting them on show.
It’s not only military activity that is brought to life. Canal boats take on board not bulk cargoes but holiday-makers. Classic cars by Bugatti get together basking in the sunshine and the admiration of look-alike Edwardian motorists.
It's almost a case of ‘we couldn’t be there at the time but we’ll do the next best thing and pretend we could.’ The crowds that attend such events show that this hands-on approach to history has as much pulling power as any history book.
There’s no way the Church can compete with this. Processions in choir robes or colourful copes lack the element of surprise. Worship has its hymns (nowadays worship-songs) and its rallying calls but it is prosaic alongside the poetry of motion. However, that is where its strength lies. Christian faith and worship are about real time, not in the sense of talent shows but about making a difference.
When those attending go home in a changed frame of mind, time has been well spent. Things may happen. There may not be the formation of a new Clapham Sect or a revitalisation of the parish system but homes and families may notice imaginative activity of a kind not seen before. The Sermon on the Mount was, after all, in part, an essay in imaginative goodness.
Practising for real life is hardly blameworthy. But if the means becomes more important than the ends, the effect is hazy. Singing military-style hymns or songs about mountain-climbing can lead us down that road.
So, Christians. Strap on your greaves and lift up your muskets and pretend you belong to a former generation. Better still, be part of a Gospel-believing generation and invite your friends to join you.
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