Christmas
Eve at King's College
By Sir Cam
Cambridge, England
The weeklong fog
enveloping the city has finally lifted.
Cambridge had looked a right spooky place. I ventured
into the city this morning for that traditional
British habit: queuing!
For a worthwhile cause, I think. You see they
have this very special Christmas Eve do at the
famous King's College Chapel and this year I felt
like attending it (for background info see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6202751.stm).
This, however, was the king of queues. We froze
outside the Chapel for about five hours (places
are limited so its first come first served) before
being let inside the candle-lit building. I'm
not too keen on organ music, to be frank. Reminds
me too much of graveyards and old horror movies.
As for the human voice, the world famous King's
College choir is in a class of its own.
The attached photograph is one I took of the choir
boys heading toward the south door of the Chapel.
Ah, little angels! Attending "A Festival
of Nine Lessons and Carols" -- as the famous
Christmas Eve event is called -- at King's was
quite an experience for me. That is, a Muslim
at a unique Christian event attended by a privileged
few and heard worldwide by millions.
It made me think more about a personality we revere
– Jesus Christ or Isa son of Mary/Maryam
(s) -- and about what we have in common (virgin
birth, status of Mary etc) as well as some of
our differences (especially all this complex Trinity
business, or what we call ascribing partners to
the One and Only). It also made me think of the
hypocrisy of the likes of Bush and Blair (war
on earth rather than peace on earth).
But, there was much in the hymns and choirs, prayers
and readings that I, someone with a spiritual
outlook on life, could relate to. As the Dean,
the Reverend Ian Thompson, said in his prayer,
"Let us pray for the needs of his whole world;
for peace and goodwill over all earth" and
remember "the poor and the helpless, the
cold, the hungry and the oppressed".
So, season's greetings to all, as well as an advanced
Eid Mubarak plus happy Jinnah Day (born Dec 25,
1887) and remember, too, that this month marks
the centenary of the founding of the All-India
Muslim League (founded 1906).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
