Dear Parents
As always on the Friday closest to 11 November, we observed Remembrance Day with a simple, special service this morning. Three events / special days in the last fortnight have struck me as pertinent to the purpose of today’s service.
The first was the Springboks’ press conference on Tuesday at OR Thambo airport when the captain (holding the Rugby World Cup trophy) and their coach arrived back with a few of the players. One of the journalists asked the question of Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus – why the delay and discussion between them before the captain hoisted the trophy in the air with his fellow players after the match? The coach answered quickly, explaining that Siya had asked him to lift the trophy with him, but Rassie declined, saying it was for the captain to lift it with his fellow players. A real moment of considering and honouring each other at the height of such an emotionally charged event
The second was All Saints Day (the boys only know the day before, of course – Halloween). All Saints Day, a day where many churches remember and honour the saints, not just the traditional saints, but all those good and kind people living and dead. And traditionally it is a time to pray for and remember all those who have gone before us.
And then, two Sundays ago, Hindu families celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrating the “spiritual victory of good over evil and light over darkness”.
How amazing it would be if no matter what our differences and divisions we could, in the words of the Springbok rugby captain, believe in “#stronger together”. If people across cultures, regions and identities could honour and consider each other. If only the whole world could always choose “good over evil and light over darkness”.
So as we remembered those within the Bishops family who over the generations had died in war or conflict, we brought the question down to ourselves: “How can each person find ways to deal with conflict and appreciate difference so that groups and countries never have to escalate disagreement and competitiveness into violence and war?”.
Have a good weekend.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER |
