A Little Lower Than The Angels
The return of Rev. to BBC2 is very timely, after Occupy London appropriated the steps of St. Paul's. Both situations illuminate the uncomfortably straddling position that the Church occupies; being in the world without being of it; raising their eyes heavenward whilst keeping both feet on the ground and striving to meet the needs of both spirit and flesh. St. Paul's is an even more ironic example, it's similar to the Royal Court Theatre standing at the heart of Sloane Square. This position makes the Church fertile ground for dramatic conflict and the Vicar a rich source of comedy, since they embody the difference between how we ought to behave and how we really do. One person's comedy is another person's tragedy.
If protesters had pitched their tents outside News International and forced its closure they would have been accused of assaulting free speech. Closing the London Stock Exchange would have elicited the same charge of interference. Not so at St. Paul's, it seems. Since they are not supposed to be of this world, we assume that they don't play by the same rules. But they still have to pay their way. They may criticise capitalist greed and excess, but they have investments like the rest of us. Occupying two different spheres, struggling to meet two different needs, it's no wonder their response (like ours) has been rather muddled.
