The international alarm over the future of the Ukraine invaded the peaceful calm of parochial Marlborough when the Town Council met last night (Monday) and councillors started their meeting with prayers.
The Mayor, Councillor Guy Loosmore, warned that the economic fall-out from a Cold War clash could cause harm even in Marlborough after the issue had been raised by the Rev Canon Andrew Studdert-Kennedy, Marlborough’s Rector.
He reminded councillors of the current crisis in the Ukraine that confronted the world before offering the traditional prayers at the start of the Town Council’s deliberations.
He referred to line in the sand nobody should cross when, in the New Testament, Jesus was confronted with woman about to be stoned to death for adultery.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,” the Bible reported.
And the Rector recalled: “The great Irish poet Seamus Heaney was once asked what contribution poetry could make to politics. He said that politics was like the line Christ drew in the sand over the woman caught in adultery.
“You may remember that story where the law said you had to throw stones at here. And Jesus bends down and just doodles. He draws a line in the sand.
“Seamus Heaney said that poetry’s influence on politics was like that line drawn in the sand, which creates a pause in the action. It is such a fabulous phrase…a pause in the action.
“I don’t say it is going to happen tonight but whenever we have disagreements, in any sphere of society, in the church, anywhere, that actually a pause in the action is what we need to consider the future.
“It is very good news, which I want to share with you because I think it presents such a fantastic phrase – and an opportunity…Let us pray.”
The Mayor, who has worked in the past in the City, reflected on the Rector’s reminder of potential danger and the need not to take rash action.
“The economic effects could be considerable,” he said. “They could even hurt us here in Marlborough. We do have to consider that.”
He pointed out it was necessary, on the edge of possible disaster, to pause and concern ourselves, “not necessarily about life in our town but about life in the future,” he said.
“This is a moment when we concern ourselves about our decisions. We need to remember that.”
