The Becket Way

The new Archbishop of Canterbury has been on a pilgrimage to her installation. Sarah Mullally, the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, has been walking from London to Canterbury over the past six days. Upon her arrival today, the Feast of the Annunciation, she will be installed as the top clerical figure in the Church of England.

This path from London to Canterbury has long been a pilgrimage path for English Christians, but this is the first time in modern history that an Archbishop of Canterbury has taken the pilgrimage in lead up to their installation. The 140km route includes stretches of the Via Britannica and the Augustine Camino, the pilgrimage route celebrating the conversion of English-speaking people to Christianity.

It is sometimes called the Becket Camino as it mimics the journey of Thomas Becket before his murder in 1170. As a common pilgrimage path, it served as the inspirational setting for The Canterbury Tales.

I think it is a beautiful way to start off an episcopy, with prayer and humility, as a pilgrim. For the first woman to hold the office, I think it is also a great way of showing continuity, tying herself to this ancient path and the archbishops who have made this pilgrimage before her.  

Means to an Ends Time

Just hours after the attacks on Iran began, disturbing interpretations of the conflict emerged. The violence itself is disturbing enough, of course, but one hopes that there was a series of rational explanations that got us here. Yet, military personal began reporting that they were being told from higher ups to interpret the conflict through a (narrow) biblical lens. More than 100 service members across dozens of bases made reports to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that commanders were framing operations as part of God’s plan for Armageddon and the return of Christ.

To this dangerous strain of Christianity, one wants to accelerate violence and tribulations in order to hurry Christ’s return. They interpret prophets as literal geopolitical predictions and the Book of Revelation as a blueprint in which they can be major players in controlling the narrative.

Iran is viewed as modern Persia. Israel (and ally U.S) as the modern Israelites. A war between them as the battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38). Interpretations always vary to accommodate current geopolitics; currently the prevailing idea is that Gog (Iran) and Magog (Russia/China) will invade Israel, with God supernaturally intervening to protect Israel. The Third Temple will be rebuilt, with the Dome of the Rock destroyed and a red heifer sacrificed. Jesus will come back and establish peace.

First, this is bad theology. Point blank. For most of Christianity, no one was concerned with concrete details of Christ’s return. He would keep His promises, He would return, and we must be ready for Him. It was a personal, spiritual call to prepared, like the brides with oil in their lamps.

Proclaim Boldly

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and the Gospel reading for the day was the woman at the well. The story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is often how she was a Samaritan and an outcast, how Jesus saw past her social standing and sin. But there is a second part to the story. Once she sees that he is the Messiah, she rushes back to her village to tell everyone. 

She is an evangelist. She doesn’t care that she is an outcast or they may not believe her; she has a message of salvation and immediately wants to share it with others. "Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified" (John 4:38).

Time and time again, Jesus uses women to share His message.