Tuesday, 07 July 2009
The Bishop of Warwick and the Rev Dr Gordon Gatward, Director of Christian charity for the countryside the Arthur Rank Centre, took part in a piece of British rural history this morning as they presided over the opening of the 160th, and last ever, Royal Show.
Thousands visitors listened to the Bishop’s sermon, which took for its theme: ‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it dies it yields a rich harvest.’ (John 12.24) A pageant of farming through the ages provided the backdrop to the address, reminding the audience of the 170 year history of the Show.
Despite heavy rain, the mood of the address was hopeful, giving thanks for the work of the charities and people that help farmers and people in the countryside with both practical and moral support. As he paid tribute to charities such as ARC, Farm Crisis Network and ARC-Addington Fund, the Bishop said: ‘these charities are a reminder not only that these issues matter and need to be engaged with, but that the people behind the issues matter too and matter to God.’
The Bishop’s full address read:
‘‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it dies it yields a rich harvest.’ John 12.24
Jesus, brought up amongst farmers, shepherds and fishermen, knew what he was talking about. He understood rural life and rural people and uses the everyday language of farming, vine-growing and shepherding to communicate life-giving, life-changing truth. I have here a grain of wheat. It has a hard glossy husk. If I keep it in my pocket, nothing will happen. But if it falls into the soil, it will be softened and its potential for life and growth will be released. In good soil it will grow and produce an ear containing 40 more and if they are all sown, they will produce 1600 and if they are all sown, they will produce 64 thousand. All this from one seed. Jesus was talking about agricultural life but He was speaking also of His own life and death.
Jesus uses language that rural people recognise from the rhythm of nature around us, death leading to new life. He also uses language that gardeners everywhere will recognise, that ruthless pruning leads to greater abundance.
For many years farmers have adapted to changing circumstances with extraordinary resilience and creativity. There have been many examples of dying to one way of doing things and new life emerging in other ways- in so-called diversification. But in recent years, as we are all aware, farmers have had to face a series of massive almost unbearable challenges: Foot and Mouth, B.S.E., Bluetongue, Flooding, great increases in red-tape bureaucracy, Single Farm Payment problems, and now especially Bovine T.B. and the near collapse of Dairy Farming. All these things have caused immense hardship, damage and stress.
I am also aware, thank God, of the extraordinary work of a number of Rural Charities providing practical and moral support for those facing these crises. I think of the ARC-Addington Fund, The Farm Crisis Network (FCN) which received over 1800 calls in its first year, R.A.B.I., the Rural Stress Helpline, and a number of others. The Arthur Rank Centre is a reminder not only that these issues matter sand need to be engaged with, but that the people behind the issues matter too and matter to God.
I am also aware of the extraordinary work of Agricultural or Rural Chaplains who provide practical, spiritual and moral support to a huge constituency of people – farmers and many others- who live in rural areas. We give thanks for this. I give thanks too for the development of Care Farming which shows that farming does not simply bear fruit of the physical kind but can change the lives of people who are struggling with life in a wide variety of ways.
But whatever the struggles faced by many in rural communities, it needs to be said and it needs to be heard and responded to that farming matters, that horticulture matters, that food production matters, that the environment matters, not just to us but to the world and to God who gave us this world.
This is the last Royal Show, a great occasion but also a poignant one. I am in no doubt that the ‘death’ of the Royal Show, like the grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying will lead to much new life. Some time ago I planted a very small garden with too many plants. They were all special plants but there were too many of them in one space for each of them to flourish. The great variety of country life represented here will be given more space to grow and to flourish in new bespoke events. Special events - for Food - Equine – Smallholder - Education - Farm science and technology - Livestock breed classes and so on.
‘Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain, but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.’
Show organiser the Royal Agricultural Society of England is now looking to the future and focussing on a series of year round events for 2010 and beyond, to retain key elements of the ‘Royal’, many of which have become an annual tradition. The RASE Festival of the Horse will debut in July 2010 and discussions with breed societies and livestock trade bodies about staging a livestock competition from 2010 are well underway.
Ends
For more information please contact:
Rev’d Dr Gordon Gatward, Director, Arthur Rank Centre: 024 7685 3060
Revd Canon Mervyn Roberts, Director of Communications, Coventry Diocese:
01926 426922
Notes
The Arthur Rank Centre is a charity supported by the National Churches, the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Rank Foundation, which supports the rural community and its churches through a programme of community and social projects, resourcing and training; website: www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
