This month I begin work in the allotment in earnest. I remember that there is no such thing as permanently perfect soil. All things change. You can only aim at having a vigorous, living, breathing soil. It’s like justice and peace: “Goodness, together with love, justice and solidarity are not achieved once and for all; they have to be realised each day” (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti 11).

Paul Southgate – Hell is a Dustbowl

It is striking that, over 1700 centuries after the martyrdom of St. George, whose feast coincides with the publication of this week’s issue of The Universe, this slightly obscure Palestinian Roman soldier saint (who might well be denied a visa by the Home Office if he tried to visit the UK) is still venerated as England’s patron saint. His cult was seemingly popularised by returning Crusaders. Their militaristic cross became his emblem. The medieval legend of him killing a dragon and rescuing of a damsel in distress further added to his allure.

St. George then became a symbol of nationhood, most famously on the lips of Shakespeare’s Henry V: “Cry God for Harry, England and St. George.” But note the pecking order: King first, Country second, Saint third. It’s hard to stop religious symbols from being co-opted by those in power – even in our secularised culture. Around the world, politicians like to ‘wrap themselves in the flag’. And those rallying to their standard are unlikely to register its ambiguities. What we see as a symbol of the Gospel, that blood red cross, is for many Muslims a reminder of past Christian cruelties. The burden of history lies heavily on all of us – even across our best intentions.

Now we witness the danger of the Union Jack becoming unstitched, torn by the centrifugal forces unleashed by Brexit. Will St. George’s flag one day be left to fly alone? What does his cross say about the English nation – assuming England actually is a nation? (One interpretation of those angry Brexit debates says that the Remain campaign ultimately failed because it stressed a shared British identity, while those it needed to convince thought of themselves, first and foremost, as English.)

Whatever our personal take on British history, whatever our national or regional identities, we need to discover shared values and work together to build a common future, a unity that can embrace diversity. That’s less about where we place political borders than about what dragons we choose to slay: perhaps the dragon that dreams lazily of past imperial power, or the dragon of accepting chronic poverty alongside enormous wealth, or the dragon of environmental destruction that threatens the future of us all. Which ‘damsels’ – the defenceless and vulnerable of our age – need rescuing? We’ll need all the courage St. George showed both in his obscure history and in later legend.

Fr Rob Esdaile is parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Thames Ditton

National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) Conference 23-25 July at https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/

Pope Francis proposed a striking image of Church: “I see the church as a field hospital after battle.” What the Church needs most today, he says, is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.

This is the very quality Covid has denied us. We have been isolated, socially distanced, locked down, furloughed, un-hugged and un-plugged.

Paul Southgate – Energised or Paralysed 

Palm Sunday shows how quickly moods can change. In less than a week ‘Hosannah’ changed to ‘Crucify Him!’. Will the bishops’ statements against the new defence policy – where Britain is increasing its nuclear weapons stockpile – cause our government to change its mind?

It’s commonly thought that the only way to deal with violence is to use violence or to threaten its use, but real peace is deferred and enmity remains. Violence breeds violence.

The dark day of the new defence policy contrasts with the light that comes with Easter. Not only do the clocks move forward, but the light of Christ shines on us all, imperfect as we may be. He said, “‘Follow Me” and exemplified God’s love for every single person. By doing God’s will, we can abandon self-importance and begin a culture of care and compassion. This is the path to peace that the world sorely needs.

People prefer working in life-affirming activities, rather than being trapped in non-ethical work. Young people can be inspired by Church thinking to work for nonviolent solutions to world problems. Christ said, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. Telling us to love our enemies meant we should have none. We can look for the good points in others and use them to begin fruitful dialogue without any judgment.

Friendship, partnership and dialogue are always preferable to aggression. At this time of year, the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CCND) usually visits embassies prior to the associated United Nation meetings. Our focus is now on the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and encouraging more countries, including our own, to conform to this new international law.

We have a list of the Church denominational leaders who are committed to nuclear disarmament, as well as Pope Francis, Archbishop Justin Welby and Archbishop Stephen Cottrell. There is also a list of all the councils and other bodies which endorse the TPNW.

Our organisation is ecumenically composed, with no leader but Christ. The two co-chairs are time limited and exist to alternately run meetings and sign paperwork. We are not only interdenominational but make connections with other faiths and anyone interested in our campaigning. Our website has many ‘hits’, as does our large social media network. See: https://christiancnd.org.uk/

Michael and Patricia Pulham are on the CCND Executive.

NJPN Conference 23-25 July at https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/