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Concert on 16 June
Those who where abed last Wednesday night will think themselves accursed that they missed this wonderful concert by the Norwegian brass band Arendel who played The white cliffs of Dover to Grieg to The saints and finished with We´ll meet again. Music from heaven!
Elisabeth Burca's 90th Birthday Party
In May we had the opportunity to join with Elisabeth to celebrate her 90th birthday. Some were friends from long ago, when Elisabeth and her family first came to the island, whilst others were from more recent times. All, though, were delighted to be part of this joyous occasion.
Elisabeth's two sons, Richard and Marc, were present, as were her young grandsons, who had come over from Spain for the event. After enjoying as many canapés as you could eat and having your glass re-filled as much as you wanted whilst chatting with friends and family, everyone gathered in the Ranalow Room to give heartfelt congratulations to Elisabeth, and watch her cut the cake, which she did with her usual care and attention to detail!
It is always good to be part of special occasions, but it is very special to be involved in the celebration of such an important landmark. It is also a particular delight to celebrate with someone who is still so sprightly and full of life.
Many happy returns Elisabeth!
Ruth's Party
After spending her birthday last year in hospital, with virtually no recollection of what happened, Ruth decided to make this year's an occasion to celebrate, and use the opportunity to say a very sincere 'Thank you' to all the friends who have given such tremendous support over the last twelve months. To do this, a party was scheduled for Ruth's birthday. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan, as just before the big day, she contracted shingles, so the party was postponed.
However, exactly one month later, on 29th April, the party was held. Around 40 guests gathered in the Trinity Rooms for lunch. They ranged from church friends to people who live near Ruth and Andrew in Calheta, with others known through Rotary, and Dr Frank Zino, who first suspected her medical condition and sent her off to a neurologist. It was a more mixed gathering than we often have, so new acquaintances were made in the relaxed setting of lunch.
Because Ruth was determined that this was to be a celebration of people's friendship and their expressions of love and concern, she wanted to make a short speech. As some guests were Portuguese, she did it twice - first in Portuguese, then in English! Ruth had said that she wanted no presents (although she did get one or two!), but she made a gift to the assembled group. She gave Janet, as Churchwarden and therefore representative of the church, one of her paintings to hang in the room where the lunch took place. It was a picture of Pride of Madeira - a very appropriate subject! Everyone appreciated the opportunity to celebrate with Ruth, and this made it a very happy occasion.
Because the re-scheduled date for the party did not give much notice to people, there were some people who could not attend this time. Some had returned to the UK, whilst others were working. As a result, Ruth says that there will have to be another 'Thank you party' later in the year, to catch up with all the absent friends! More of that another time.
From 20th February, following the disastrous flood damage in Madeira, our Hon British Consul, Mrs Joy Menezes, worked 24/7 with the UK Ambassador from Lisbon and a team of helpers from London and Lisbon to respond to thousands of enquiries from people seeking relatives and friends here. She gave an address at the end of the church service on Sunday 28th February and had an important message to British Nationals from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office which she asked us to circulate to everyone we know:
If you are a British national, and travelling or living abroad, or planning to do so, use our LOCATE service to tell us. Our embassy and crisis staff can then give you better assistance in an emergency such as the Madeira floods.
We are encouraging all British nationals travelling and living abroad to register with us on LOCATE, even for short trips.
For more information on LOCATE please click here.
Joy said that if all the British holidaymakers who were here over the weekend of 20/21 Feb had registered, their job (which was a nightmare) would have been made dramatically easier!
The Improbability of Beauty
In Madeira we are surrounded by beauty, a green, cherished island, in the midst of the sea. And we are surrounded by beautiful churches filled with amazing pictures and objects that have been lovingly collected and looked after over generations, often by very poor communities. The English church too, in its elegant proportions reflects that beauty. It is not just the objects and buildings themselves which are beautiful but it is the sacrifice that they represent and the care that has been lavished on them down through the years. Something beautiful for God. God and beauty go together.
Indeed, beauty is a quality of God, we being created in his image have an appreciation of beauty and the urge to create it for ourselves. We don't just mean art in the narrow sense of say, painting, but also creating around us in our homes and gardens a harmonious and beautiful space in which to live. All this is a response; a response to that quality of beauty in God.
Whenever tempted to run down areas of industrial pollution and desolation, or where the depression and poverty of the people results in uncared for, litter strewn streets and run down homes, where beauty is in short supply, we can feel that in some way God's will is being denied as well and people are unaware that he is there waiting to be found. Having a soft top car in London and remembering sitting in a terrible traffic jam by Streatham Hill station. We had not moved for twenty minutes and frustration was building as with everyone else until realizing that overhead and all around us there was a spectacular sunset. In the words of the psalm "The heavens declare the glory of God." It seemed that beauty of this kind, unlooked for, improbable, is a mark of God.
The flowers do not need to be so beautiful to attract insects, but so often they are. "Consider the lilies of the field" said Jesus, "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these, and yet they last but a day." There is no purpose to caves filled with multicoloured quartz stalactites, waiting in the dark since the dawn of the earth until we brought lights into them, and yet they exist. To walk through bluebell woods in Spring or maple woods in Autumn is a magical, an almost sensual, ravishing of our spirit. Fish and birds do not need to be so multicoloured simply to reproduce. Snow can turn the dullest scene into wonderland. Remembering a friend who studied mathematics who demonstrated a complicated equation and tried to explain it and failed, but it was his enthusiasm that struck home "This is beautiful, man, can't you see that?" And why not? There is a perfection in numbers which is the building block of the universe, from the leaf of an oak tree to the Crab Nebula.
Beauty unlooked for, improbable, is all around us. It seems that in the very unnecessariness of beauty there is a spiritual quality, and a holiness to its creation and preservation. It is not just a matter of taste, not just something in the eye of the beholder; it is part of the very essence and character of God. As such it has power to affect all around it and to give inspiration and strength. When we plant and grow, and build and design we are sharing in the very work of God. And when we see beauty we get a glimpse of God. Faith is a little more sure and Hope a little stronger. Fr. Neil.