Like Harris Tweed Christians Have A Trademark
Albert Bogle
September 29, 2016
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The original Scots name for cloth was ‘tweel’. It’s derived from the English name’ twill.’ I read recently, that the name ‘tweed’ came about because a London merchant misread the writing on an order of cloth he received from Hawick. He struggled to read the letters of the handwriting and as the River Tweed was close to Hawick, he thought the letters spelt ‘tweed’ rather than ‘tweel' and the name has stuck.
A couple of years ago I had the great privilege of visiting Lewis and I was able to see round one of the Harris Tweed Mills. I even got a shot at working one of the weaver’s looms. On leaving the mill I was presented with a beautiful book entitled ‘From the Land Comes The Cloth”, by Ian Lawson. It’s a comprehensive journal of pictures and prose describing the journey of the author as he discovers the role that the land plays in framing and forming the identity of Harris Tweed. In the book I came across this little poem which in many ways speaks to all of us about the mystery and purpose of all of our lives.
The Silent Loom
My life is but a weaving
Between the Lord and me;
I may not choose the colours
He knows what they should be.
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side
While I can see it only
On this, the under side.
Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,
Which seems so strange to me;
But I will trust His judgment
And work on faithfully.
'Tis He who fills the shuttle,
And He knows what is best;
So I shall weave in earnest,
And leave to Him the rest.
Not 'til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needed
In the Weaver's skilful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
~~ Author Unknown ~~
As this month comes to an end Sanctuary First has been reflecting upon the importance of identity and what we learn about this from the teaching of Jesus in the section of Mathew’s Gospel known as the Beatitudes. No doubt David Hume the famous Scottish philosopher gives us a starting point when he talked about our identity as a “bundle of experiences”. Yet somehow we need to believe we are more than a bundle of experiences. We are also people who try to create meaning and purpose out of the experiences of our lives.
Donald J MacKay in the book I mentioned earlier, talking about the significance of Harris Tweed, as a symbol of Identity, for the islanders said, “Harris Tweed, is our symbol of life, it’s very special to us. Our island culture is ultimately bound to every metre of tweed. It gives us great independence and reverence for nature”.
Perhaps for the Christian our identity is bound to our relationship with Jesus and every metre we walk with him gives us a new interdependency on each other allowing the living out of the Beatitudes to become our trade mark of authenticity.
Discovering how the sad and difficult experiences of life can relate to the good and hopeful ones, is never easy, yet that is what Jesus is doing when he brings together the marks of ‘blessedness” that will identify his followers as he teaches about humility, mercifulness and the importance of seeking after justice.
To begin to make sense of all the experiences of our lives is indeed a challenge. This month I’ve been greatly helped by contribution that have been made to Sanctuary First through those who have written prayers but also from those who contributed online.
I’ve enjoyed taking part in the online discussion from the Acoustic Cafe in Falkirk. It has been an interesting experience to respond to ideas and reflections from our online viewers and to have the trust and confidence to allow a wider audience on the internet to begin to engage with Sanctuary First, talking about what it means to live out a Christian identity.
There is always an element of wonder and excitement and even mystery when it comes to making sense of life. Yet it was the simple comment of one subscriber to ‘Sanctuary First Live’ by text who summed it all up by saying something like this. “Get on with the little things at hand - they make the difference now!” Jesus of course said it when he counselled us all to stop worrying about tomorrow, and to start live a day at a time.
Today Harris Tweed guards its identity very closely with an Act of Parliament giving the Hebrides the trade mark of the Orb. When it comes to tweed identity is important. So it is when it comes to being a follower of Jesus. Our identity is guarded and sealed not by an Act of Parliament but by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts, shaping and moulding us into Christlike people. Too often it doesn’t feel that way to me. Like many of us I'm more conscious of the fact that I’ve grieved the Spirit of God by my refusal to live up to the identity and trade mark of a true follower.
I find the words of Psalm 51.11-13 from “The Message”, both challenging and somewhat salutary.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
I’m glad that God adds a postscript to my daily living, “Work in Progress”
Pictures from - “From the Land Comes The Cloth” By Ian Lawson
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