Karl

Not far from where we live is Highgate Cemetery.  It is an amazing place for the conglomeration of famous people's corpses that lie there.  It is unusual in being one of very few cemeteries where you pay to visit as a living person; thankfully the admission fee for those expected to walk out again is a lot lower than if you are brought in to stay.

Though he is not at all the only famous person here, for whatever reason Karl Marx has the centre of attention.  His grave is more like a statue from the town square of a country behind the old Iron Curtain.  But whereas many old communist dignitaries have been unceremoniously removed from their Eastern plinths, Karl has been given more dignity in London.  In fact he was moved within the cemetery, but only in order to give him a better position.

Herein is the irony.  For day after dead day, Karl looks across his little lane at several graves with prominent crosses.  As far as history can tell, Karl's main connections with the cross were too early and too late.  Too early in that when he was baptised into the Lutheran church the sign of the cross meant nothing to his infant mind, and too late in Highgate Cemetery when his soul has returned to God who made it.  

In between?  Some historically significant philosophy that is looking somewhat out of date while the cross continues to change the lives of all kinds of people.

World Cup Blogs 23: Russia

Russia have done a great job hosting the World Cup.  Despite pre-Tournament misgivings it has been very safe and straightforward into this final week.  Their team - almost incredibly - was the lowest ranked of the 32, below nations with inauspicious football reputations such as Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Panama.  Still, they did very well. The last shall be first . . . (well at least a lot higher than last anyway).

Running through the spirituality of Russia is an almost unique streak of similarly bizarre upside-downness: the holy fools.  Lest you think I have dug this from an obscure corner of Siberia I point out that St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow - featuring often in World Cup preliminary picture shots - is named after one such holy fool.

The monastic practice of foolery was an enactment of a Biblical theme found, for example, in Old Testament prophets who behaved in various unorthodox ways (including nakedness) and in Paul's teaching - e.g.

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

The historic church in Russia is known as the Orthodox Church so it is amazing to think that its perhaps most iconic church is named after a saint who adopted a life of shoplifting.  I'd call that unorthodox.

Basil shoplifted and gave the proceeds to the poor; more orthodox (for a Holy Fool) he spent a lot of time naked (this is Russia remember, a little chilly in the winter).  He also chained himself with heavy chains, also a common practice adopted by Fools.

St Basil's Cathedral was taken into state and secular ownership in 1929. Because it was too iconic to destroy, God was taken out of it instead,  Doing away with God seemed quite a trendy idea in the 20th Century.  Perhaps the authorities at the time failed to see the irony of St Basil's being taken for atheism.

As the Psalmist wrote: The fool has said in his heart "There is no God". There is a greater fool than a holy fool and someone who tries to remove God is such a one.