Dear Saint George,
You’ve been a part of my life for decades – ever since I was around eight months old. Back then, I was christened at St George the Martyr Church in Brentford, west London.
Sadly, the church closed and, for more than 40 years, was a musical museum. Today, it’s been transformed into luxury flats, with views across the River Thames to Kew Gardens. I was one of the first people to see inside the new development.
Yet somehow that distant christening planted a seed in my life and today, I’m a Christian minister – and I rejoice that there are now thriving churches just a short walk from the old St George’s.
My links continue, and a stained-glass depiction of St George – alongside St Paul and St Alban – is a prominent feature of the church where I now serve.
But just recently, you’ve become more controversial. Flags of St George – long a feature of international sports tournaments – have been painted on roundabouts, hung from lampposts and used in demonstrations.
Exactly what this means has been contested and argued over. Some rejoice in what they see as a long-overdue outbreak of national pride. Others worry that the flags are promoting racism and a nostalgic look back to an England very different from today’s multi-cultural society.
Churches with flag poles have wondered whether they should fly their St George’s flags on Thursday April 23rd, St George’s Day. Could this act be misinterpreted by parishioners?
Enter some Church of England bishops…
Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow has encouraged churches to fly their St George’s flags to demonstrate ‘a healthy patriotism.’ He has called on parishes to demonstrate: a realistic view of the nation’s past, a welcome for everyone who lives in their communities, a commitment to the common good, and an emphasis on the church as an entity with both a long heritage and a desire to work for a better future for all.
That sounds like much more than can be explained in a social media post or set out on a fridge magnet. And it needs, of course, to be much more than words.
In a society where many people feel that they have been ‘left behind’ while others are thriving, the church has to be seen to be speaking and acting for justice, and working to make life better for people living across their communities.
Churches are called to be places where everyone feels valued and treated fairly. Across denominations, our record on that has not always been perfect, but we’re making strides to raise our game.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has also entered the fray. He reminded people of your origins, Saint George, as, by legend, a heroic Roman soldier and a dragon-slayer.
He pointed out that you’re also the patron saint of Ethiopia, Georgia, Bulgaria, as well as Moscow and Beirut. So you’re a saint with international roots and supporters well beyond England’s green and pleasant land.
St George’s example, says the Archbishop, “calls us all to face the ‘dragons’ of modern life – fear, injustice, intolerance, persecution and moral compromise – with integrity and love.”
And he has called for the red cross of St George to be “a signpost pointing to a way of life marked by devotion and service to others.” He invites people “to ask where that same courage, and an identity which transcends human difference and indifference might be needed in our lives today.”
The flag-waving may worry some and encourage others, but maybe it’s part of prompting a debate about our role as citizens in 21st century society. Together we are called to work out how – in our increasingly-divided world – we can find a way back to co-operating together, striving for the common good.
Christ’s call for us to love our neighbours as much as we love ourselves is a key part of the Christian response, and challenge.
Your courage, St George, could help us as we seek to work for a better world …
Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, and a former communications director with the CofE.
