Category: TV

Weird stories – and opportunities

Towards the end of January, and I set out on what, in recent times, was a ‘weird’ opportunity: to visit some TISCA (The Independent Schools Christian Alliance) schools in person and to hold regional meetings without depending on Zoom and a screen. And what a joy it was!

The strongest shot in tennis?

Revd Martin Poole, a governor at Ballard School, spoke at the South regional gathering at Castle Court Prep School. His enthusiastic accounts of sharing stories at school assemblies ranged from showing us how to ‘tell the Bible’ using the fingers of one hand (a thumbs up for encouragement, an index finger to point to things needing attention, the middle finger – taller than the others – to be Jesus, a fourth – the ring finger – for commitment, and then the little finger for prayer), how to divide 19 camels fairly between a sheikh’s three sons (my maths was mightily challenged) and also how to use sport to tell the gospel. The latter illustration was very effective: what’s the strongest and often the winning shot played in tennis? This is, of course, the serve. Our service as Christians is often what draws others to Jesus.

The meeting at Castle Court was also remarkable for the overflowing excitement shared by staff from several schools, but especially Castle Court, of being able to have fellowship together (over a very fine meal I should add). Some schools have been unable to have in-person staff meetings until very recently and whilst we remain in awe of what technology can do to bring us together, there is nothing to replace seeing others face-to-face.

Weird stories

On our tour we took in two other schools before going to King’s Bruton for the South West regional meeting. We were treated to BBC sitcom writer James Cary’s musings on weird stories in the Bible. Here’s what Revd George Beverly, chaplain at King’s, wrote after the event:

Have you ever considered how the Bible is jam-packed with weird accounts: Baalam’s donkey talking! The transfiguration! Absalom’s long hair getting tangled in a tree, leaving him stuck hanging until he was captured! The physical resurrection of many bodies from tombs in Jerusalem when Jesus Christ rose back to life – and they walked around Jerusalem talking to people – a bit like zombies!

What do we do with such accounts? Shy away from them? Focus on the more “rational” sections of Scripture? Try and explain them away as deceptions that tricked supposedly gullible people thousands of years ago? No – none of those are wise or responsible approaches to make. We believe in a God who made the very laws of science, who is all-powerful and created everything. Thus, He is not constrained by such laws. The very fact He brings about miracles, shows he is God. And on Thursday evening, it was lovely to welcome James Cary, Christian writer, speaker and comedian to speak at TISCA (The Independent Schools’ Christian Alliance) regional meeting hosted at King’s. James sits on the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Council, hosts numerous podcasts and writes comedy for the BBC (e.g. Miranda, Hut 33, Bluestone 42, Think the Unthinkable) often alongside Milton Jones. James commended us to not shy away from the weird and controversial aspects of Scripture. God has given us these passages and they richly overflow with the message of His gospel love. Moreover, as teachers/chaplains/staff in schools, we are surrounded by children and teenagers whose world is immersed and full of an obsession with the weird and wonderful. Consider: Star Wars, Marvel, Narnia, Harry Potter and so much more. Best of all, as we engage with Scripture’s stranger segments, it often prompts genuine discussion and enquiry between pupils and staff – and isn’t that wonderful! What could be more important and fascinating than debating and discussing the message of the One who claims to hold the answers to life’s biggest questions?!?!

So, our challenge to all is to seize opportunities to engage in the weird and wonderful in the Bible – and to do the ‘weird thing’ of meeting up again in person! (COVID secure, of course…)

(Lead article in the Spring 2022 edition of ‘TISCA News and Views’)

Dreams are made of this

A small black and white TV

This is a week of dreams – dreams that came to pass in my lifetime. I was 12 years of age and just home from boarding school. It was one of those rare school holidays when my parents were home from Africa and we were staying in our small tenement flat in Paisley. We were not wealthy – don’t believe all you might read in the Press about those who go to independent schools, even today. Our tenement home had two small bedrooms, a kitchen / lounge area and a small wash area – no toilet (we shared the one on the stairs with other families) and no bath (these were available in the town centre at the public baths – not to be confused with a leisure pool today). But we did have a small black and white TV, courtesy of Radio Rentals, and here my dreams unfolded.

As a young boy, I had flown to and from Ghana twice a year between home and school in Scotland. These were the days of the BOAC ‘young fliers’ – later Ghana Airways and a VC10 – where ‘unaccompanied minors’ were treated to visits to the cockpit where they were allowed to sit in the pilot’s seat and watch the dials and see the clouds rushing by. I wanted to be a pilot! Aged 12, however, I was about to be enthralled by something even more exciting than being an airline pilot: an astronaut!

Air travel – and space

At my small boys’ boarding school near Ayr, we didn’t see much TV although ‘Dr Who’ was a regular Saturday feature. Space travel featured in my favourite comic, ‘The Eagle’, and in our ‘free time’ on Wednesdays and Saturdays we regularly made model ‘Airfix’ models of aircraft. Space travel and a moon landing was something else and even at school we were aware of what was about to happen – and my excitement was increased by knowing my parents were back from tropical Africa (where we had no TV and only intermittent wireless connection) and that we would be renting a TV for the holidays.

Diary extracts from July 1969

My 1969 diary picks up the narrative:

Monday, 14th July: End of term. Most people went home at 6.30 pm. End of term service was at 5.00 am (sic). I stayed the night. 19 boys stayed – had a feed (aka ‘midnight feast’)

Tuesday, 15th July: Got the train to Paisley at 8.10 pm (sic). Played golf. 18 holes. Mum – 105. Dad – 86. I got 124. Watched TV. (Golf was our main pastime on our small mining ‘camp’ in Ghana. In Paisley we played on the Municipal Course next to Barshaw Park where the notices said, in typical Scottish fashion, ‘no golf in the park’).

Wednesday, 16th July: Played golf. Mum – 109. Dad – 79. I got 60 and 62. Watched TV. APOLLO 11 BLAST OFF. I saw it on TV.

Thursday, 17th July: Went up Town. Played football and cricket with Cameron. Apollo 11 all right.

Friday, 18th July: Went to see the dentists. Went to Glasgow – Rowans – new suit. Saw a film at the ABC 1 called ‘The Italian Job’. Watch TV Apollo 11 all right.

Saturday, 19th July: Played football with Cameron. Watched TV. The Apollo 11 still all right. Got my comic and pocket money. (The ‘still all right’ catches the mood of the time – we were on tenterhooks that this amazing mission might fail.)

Sunday, 20th July: Apollo 11 landed on the Moon! It landed at approx 9.13 pm. Played golf…

Monday, 21st July: Went to the doctors. Went to see ‘Ring of bright water’ at La Scala. Watched TV. Apollo 11 – 1st Men on the Moon! 

Tuesday, 22nd July: Played with Cameron. Watched TV. Cleared up the settee. Apollo 11 – Luna Bug linked up with the Service Module. Went up Town with Dad. 

(No reference to Apollo on the 23rd July but I did see another film, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ – aware that another ‘Eagle’ had dared – and succeeded.)

Thursday, 24th July: Stayed in most of the time – did my model glider. Apollo 11 splashed down safely in the Pacific. Dad’s last day. (He returned to Ghana the next day.)

Survey – faith or fiction?

This week the Daily Express carried out a survey of its readers – ‘Was the 1969 moon landing real or a hoax?’ Over 32% of respondents (2,713) said it was a hoax with some 6.5% undecided. Amazing! That means the other four landings were also fake and that’s an enormous secret for hundreds, if not thousands, involved in the space programme to keep. I don’t need such bizarre surveys: I witnessed the first Moon landing as a youngster and I know it was real, nerve-tingling and inspiring: ‘Apollo 11 was still all right‘.