It was Harvest in our cathedral church yesterday which is always a big gig. We ploughed the fields and we scattered and we raised the song of harvest home and made sure all be safely gathered in. It was quite pertinent actually because there is a right autumnal (if not winter) storm brewing round these parts, and if anything wasn’t gathered in, it would have a problem.
And it took me back – as it must do for so many of us - to schooldays and sliding a cabbage along the wooden bench to Miss Lumley who was stacking harvest gifts in an impressive pile. I felt a bit raw on that occasion as the other kids all had highly decorated overflowing shoeboxes and I had a cabbage. But Miss Lumley smiled at me and accepted the cabbage graciously and no doubt it fed some destitute pensioner for a week.
Now our cathedral is in the middle of a city and there are not many fields to plough until you head off a few miles north. So, it’s quite hard I think, as it is for a lot of urban churches to really enter into the whole harvest, blade and ear, wheat, and tares vibe. It’s more about harvest for everyone – not just those of us who have food in the cupboards but harvest for those right under our noses in this city who rely on foodbanks and don’t have enough to eat. And so our gifts were tins of fruit and baked beans and kitchen roll and loo paper and the necessities of life to feed a family when you don’t have enough money. Wheats and tares aren’t much good when you have a family of five who prefer wheat served as Weetabix.
And the preacher was someone who had been quite high up in Christian Aid and very good she was too. She told us that there’s enough food produced in the world to feed everybody – but the catch is that some people can’t access it because of where they live – or they can’t afford it. And others who would have once reaped a rich harvest are struggling because of the effects of the overuse of the earth’s resources, of deforestation and our changing climate. She thought (and what a wonderful idea) that harvest should be seen as happening all year round and including constantly all those who are struggling. We all look all the time for our neighbour in need – and without judgement.
I liked a story she told of a Peruvian indigenous practice whereby those with a poor harvest would lay a poncho outside their door and have a drink ready. Those with a good harvest would come along and lay gifts of food on the poncho and accept a drink. It could all turn into a bit of a party. It was known as the ‘Levelling Feast.’
I like that.
It reminded me a bit of the Community Café we run in our cathedral. It is open to all and we don’t make a charge. It’s all free which when we get visitors from down south, we have to explain carefully as the shock can be a bit much. (Free?!! What??!!!) Everyone is welcome. Everyone is included.
It’s harvest every Tuesday morning. And not a cabbage in sight.
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