Signs of the Times

There have been strands of Christian, particularly Protestant, observance that have held that religion and commerce do not mix. In particular, there has been a strong prejudice against using the church building itself for commercial purposes. I can understand it: some commerce is exploitative - sellers and buyers are competing to set a price that is to their advantage over the other. It can be hard to reconcile that with a principle of 'love thy neighbour as thyself'. The bible story that an angry Jesus shamed money-lenders and vendors of sacrificial animals into leaving a Jewish temple is used by some to reinforce the point. In the rural village where I grew up, I think the idea of buying and selling in the church building itself would have met strong resistance

Times change; attitudes soften; times are hard and needs must. We made our way to the annual village craft fare, that occupies the entire church up to the alter rail. The scale of the event took us aback a little: traffic cones to prohibit antisocial parking; stewards in hi viz to direct traffic; reports of people driving long distances to attend; MrsM overheard a stall-holder say they had come from Devon! We have a friend who is a skilled and gifted craft-worker who gently lampoons such events as a place for buying and selling 'teasel mice'. We did not actually see any, but nor did we come away laden with successful Christmas shopping

Tomorrow is Sunday and the church will, I presume, return to its 'proper' use. I don't know if it is an indictment of the church, or of those of us who will not be there, but the traffic cones will not be needed. Fallen leaves balanced on a garden wall caught my attention and made my heart sing more than anything on sale among the pews