St James (2)

ST JAMES THE GREAT

One of the perks of working as a cruise chaplain is that one is often invited to escort passengers on trips ashore.

One particular shore excursion I shall always remember. It was in 1995 when I was working on board the Canberra and we went to visit Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

I could not believe the size of the botufumero that is to say the censer, being used in the cathedral. It must have been at least 12 feet tall and probably about 9 feet wide. It was swung from the roof of the cathedral by about eight men, who pulled it up by ropes, and when they had finished censing, it was lowered, with the men grabbing hold of it, as it spun round and round, before coming to rest on the ground. It must be the biggest censer in the world.

The cathedral was packed with worshippers, most of whom were pilgrims who had walked many miles to be there, following the various routes which go back to medieval times, and staying in various hostels and hospices which their predecessors had stayed in years earlier. Most of them carried a traditional staff and a scallop shell, which is a symbol of pilgrims. I must admit I felt a little bit ashamed, having travelled in a modern air conditioned coach.

I had not realised until that day, that Santiago de Compostela was one of three traditional places of pilgrimage, the other two being Jerusalem and Rome.

But why Compostela you may ask?

Quite simply, according to Spanish tradition, going back at least to the seventh century, St James visited Spain and preached the gospel there. They believed that he was a warrior saint who also defended the country against the Moors and the power of Islam.

The cathedral is dedicated to St James, and there is documentary evidence from the ninth century that the relics of St James were transferred there from Jerusalem in the second century. However, there is no reliable evidence that James ever visited Spain.

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25 July is the feast of St James, often called 'the Great', to distinguish him from the Lesser, who was also one of the twelve disciples.

James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, were often called 'Boanergees', which means 'sons of thunder', by the evangelist, which probably refers to their fervent and impetuous temperament.

James, and his brother John, were called by Jesus whilst they were mending their nets by the sea of Galilee. James became a member of that inner circle of the apostles, together with Peter and John, who were with Jesus at the transfiguration, and also in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion.

James is thought to have become the leader of the apostles after Peter was imprisoned in Jerusalem, for when Peter escaped, he told the maid Rhoda, 'Tell this to James and the believers'. Paul was also taken to James after his conversion. James was also the first disciple to die in AD 44, when a sword was thrust into him, on the orders of Herod Agrippa.

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The only other thing we know about James is that his mother was rather pushy. She went to Jesus, requesting that her two sons, James and John, should sit on either side of Jesus in his kingdom. I guess, they must have felt very embarrassed.

Jesus tactfully points out that it was not his prerogative to allot special places. In fact, places of special honour have no place in Christianity. Jesus turns the world's idea of greatness upside down, when he says: 'whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.'

Alas, this is a lesson which is still being worked out. Think for a moment of the various titles we use within the Church as regards the ordained ministry: Archbishop, Archbishop Emeritus, Bishop and Lord Bishop for those who sit in the House of Lords, Archdeacon and Archdeacon Emeritus, Vicar and Rector [and there is no difference nowadays], Canon and Prebendary [and there is no difference nowadays], Curate, Associate priest, and so I could go on.

I suspect God must laugh at the fuss we make over names and titles.

I recall in 1970, taking part in a straw vote as regards the unity talks between the Methodist and Anglican churches. We all had to assemble in the assembly room in Bury St Edmunds in the correct order before walking across the road into the cathedral. It took over twenty minutes to organise! Unfortunately, the person responsible for the seating arrangements had made a mistake and we all finished up in the wrong seats. But what was more important, because of the slip up, we all put our voting papers into the container in the wrong order!

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St James, therefore, always reminds me that there is no room for pomposity amongst Christians. No one is more important than any one else in the eyes of God. Jesus never stood on his dignity and nor should we who are his followers today.