Revd Helen Writes

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  Our next-door neighbour was digging in his garden when he unearthed a piece of metal that appeared to be very old. He washed off the dirt and, from its shape, he wondered if it might be a key so he dug deeper to see if there was a treasure chest buried with it. But there was nothing else to be found. The old man kept the bit of metal, which he still believed to be an ancient key, and for the rest of his life he wondered about it and what it might have opened.

 

  When the man died, his family had a massive clear-out and threw a load of objects into a skip.

 

  A few days later, someone spotted a chair in the skip that he could use and asked if he could have it. The family said yes, it’s all rubbish, help yourself to anything you like. As he did so, he spotted something glinting. It was the bit of metal the old man had kept all those years. And yes, it did turn out to be gold. And the old man who had kept it for so long had been almost right. It wasn’t a key but it was an ancient, gold clasp which had once kept something even more valuable safe.

 

  Jesus says, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So where is our treasure and where is our kingdom? If we were asked what kind of world we’d like to live in, we would probably say we would like a world that was fair and just for everyone: a world where there was peace and love and no more war. And that sounds as if we really do want the Kingdom of God to be on earth as it is in heaven. But do we want it enough?

 

  If we look honestly at our lives, might we find we treasure our comfort too much? Money, possessions, family and comfort are all good gifts from God. I personally am hugely grateful for all the things I have been provided with. But I know that my faith requires something more from me than just feeling pleased about this.

 

  I’m not saying we are all called to give everything we own away and become homeless and destitute. Jesus may not have had a settled home but many of his friends did – including Mary and Martha. And in the New Testament we learn of many Christians who shared all that they had; opened their homes and provided generous hospitality to those less fortunate than themselves. Rather, I hope we can be inspired to sometimes think outside the box – of things that might help us to find the buried treasure in other people. Possibilities to help make things happen in our church and in our village. However unusual. Unusual can be eye-catching! It can be attention-catching. And thought-provoking! And many churches and cathedrals are trying it.

 

  For summer fun, Norwich Cathedral once imported a full-size helter-skelter into the chancel of the cathedral for ten days. Rochester Cathedral once set up a crazy golf course in their chancel. You may wonder what relevance helter-skelters and crazy golf have to do with the parable of the buried treasure.

 

  The thinking behind Norwich’s helter-skelter was twofold – one was to get a much better view of the beautiful ceiling. The other was to have a bit of fun during the summer period. The local paper said; ‘We applaud Norwich Cathedral for their forward thinking and are proud to find the Church is not just steeped in the past but prepared to innovate in order to secure its future.” One brand new visitor to the cathedral said; “It’s very beautiful and being so close to the stained glass is brilliant!”

 

  A spokesman for Rochester Cathedral, said: “We hope that, while playing golf over the bridges in our chancel, visitors will reflect on the bridges that need to be built in their own lives and in our world today.” A visitor to the cathedral said: “It’s really nice for children to come here, to be able to see the history of the cathedral and have fun.” A non-church-goer who played on the course said: “I never knew what a lovely and prayer-filled building this was”.

 

  Perhaps some of the people who visited those places for the first time might dare to come again now they know that in cathedrals and in ordinary parish churches they might find beauty, kindness, friendship and fun. And if, for just one person, that is the beginning of a journey of faith in Jesus and discovery of the love of God, then it is worth it.

 

  So, where is our treasure? Our treasure is in the kingdom of God and in the service of God. Our treasure is with those who in some way need our love and our service. We are called by Christ to love our neighbours and, by serving them, we are serving him.

 

With love and prayers.

Helen Kempster