"Let us Offer One Another a Sign of Peace"...Groan!

Those masters of the comedic song, Stilgoe and Skellern, once penned the following words, about a fictional character, called Mrs Beamish...

Mrs Beamish stands in church,
expression calm and holy
And when the organ plays she
mumbles hymns extremely slowly
A pillar of St Botolphs
For twenty years or more
She does the flowers at Easter
and the brass-work on the door
But recently St Botolphs
has gained a brand new Vicar,
His name is Ken, he's single,
and he wants the hymns sung quicker,
He's introduced a custom
which Mrs Beamish hates,
So she rounds upon the person next to her
and clearly states;

"Don't you dare shake hands with me,
or offer signs of peace,
You lay a finger on me
and I'll send for the police,
Don't whisper 'peace be with you'
- this is the C of E,
So bend the knee, say 'thou and thee'
- and keep your hands off me!"

Brilliant stuff - with a number of equally funny subsequent verses(including my favourite line..."one more step in my direction, you'll have to believe in the resurrection!")

The whole song underlines that sense of uneasiness which some people have at sharing 'the Peace' - in my church and many others. I confess to not finding it the easiest experience myself...especially when I'm in the pew (not leading from the front). I tend to feel very self-conscious as I turn around and look for someone's hand to shake...feeling a bit of a lemon when there is no-one available, because they are all shaking hands with other people. And what should one do...a polite handshake, a 'holy kiss' on the cheek, or a charismatic bear-hug?! And if I shake one person's hand, and exchange a kiss from another - what does that communicate to the person who only got a handshake...do they feel less loved or valuable?

The other thing that often gets said by people who complain about 'The Peace" is..."There's not much peace around here!".

However - whilst, as you can see from all I've said, I have some grave reservations about the Peace...I do think that it has a place within church life. Sharing of the peace is a 'liturgical' act...an action which has deeper meaning. In these days when so much of our worship is conducted from the front, by the minister or leader - and while congregations have atendancy to turn more and more into audiences - it is very important that people have the opportunity to engage in liturgical action. Things that we act out tend to be much more memorable than things we merely observe.

Another thing to remember is that we are not sharing silence, but peace. This is peace in terms of a lack of conflict...not the peace of a period of silence. As the standard words of introduction have it..."let us therefore make for peace, and for all that builds up our common life". This peace we share is a liturgical demonstration of our one-ness, or our peace with our neighbours in Christ. It is the "peace of God which passes all understanding" - an expression of the peace of our souls granted to us through Jesus, which we share with one another.

So, to Mrs Beamish, and all who share her opinion, I would urge a re-evaluation of this important gesture. There, just before we gather together around the Lord's Table, we have an opportunity to set aside the petty squabbles and annoyances that are inevitable in any community...we can make peace with our sister or brother - and come, as one body, united in peace, to share the Supper of our Lord.

Something to think about perhaps?