Brief Lives
Inspired by the article in today's the Guardian about Michael Holroyd's follow up to his autobiography "Basil Street Blues", I felt that I had to tell this little thing I learned from a friend today. It is yet again a proof of the fact that life is more amusing than fiction, and that there are so many fascinating ordinary lives out there.
My friend Angela and I sat at the usual hang-out, had coffee and talked about the few good things about our studies. She is doing Theology (and she is yet an example of that since I moved to Lund I have strangely enough made so many friendships with people that are religious and/or studying theology, Lund is filled with them, and they are a very diverse and sometimes weird crowd. It is somewhat odd that I meet them, since I am very much _not_ religious, but I do perhaps envy those who are?), and at the moment her class is reading some sermons written by Jonathan Edwards. I know nothing about him nor his sermons, but she finds them a good read. I, being the uneducated non-theologian, mentioned that the only Jonathan Edwards I could remember was that British athlete, and wasn't he famous for being very religious?
Now, the story began. Angela has an old friend called Linda. They studied theology together some years back and now Linda has moved to Britain and apparently became a vicar in the Anglican Church, she has also married a younger guy and finally moved to her first vicarage. Linda is also something of the archetypal Swedish Valkyrie, once upon a time she was a member of the junior National team in javelin throwing and putting the spot, (and one more similar sport I just can't remember at the moment) all sports that takes quite a lot of strength.
During her early days in Britain, she somehow ended up frequenting the same congregation as the above mentioned Jonathan Edwards. They hit it of as fellow athletes and became quite good friends. At least they talked a lot about athletics. And Linda always talked about what a great guy Mr Edwards was, joining the different activities in the congregation, talking about how his faith helped him concentrating during his jumps etc. That is a nice coincidence.
But I am even more fascinated by Linda and her life, she is just too good to be true. This super-woman, strong and not at all traditional, yet taking holy orders, loving the colour pink and always saying that she is very shy, yet having no problem with walking up to a guy at a theological course and asking if he had any relatives in South Africa, since he reminded her so very much about a friend she had there. I want to write this girls biography! Javelin thrower, vicar and valkyrie.
My friend Angela and I sat at the usual hang-out, had coffee and talked about the few good things about our studies. She is doing Theology (and she is yet an example of that since I moved to Lund I have strangely enough made so many friendships with people that are religious and/or studying theology, Lund is filled with them, and they are a very diverse and sometimes weird crowd. It is somewhat odd that I meet them, since I am very much _not_ religious, but I do perhaps envy those who are?), and at the moment her class is reading some sermons written by Jonathan Edwards. I know nothing about him nor his sermons, but she finds them a good read. I, being the uneducated non-theologian, mentioned that the only Jonathan Edwards I could remember was that British athlete, and wasn't he famous for being very religious?
Now, the story began. Angela has an old friend called Linda. They studied theology together some years back and now Linda has moved to Britain and apparently became a vicar in the Anglican Church, she has also married a younger guy and finally moved to her first vicarage. Linda is also something of the archetypal Swedish Valkyrie, once upon a time she was a member of the junior National team in javelin throwing and putting the spot, (and one more similar sport I just can't remember at the moment) all sports that takes quite a lot of strength.
During her early days in Britain, she somehow ended up frequenting the same congregation as the above mentioned Jonathan Edwards. They hit it of as fellow athletes and became quite good friends. At least they talked a lot about athletics. And Linda always talked about what a great guy Mr Edwards was, joining the different activities in the congregation, talking about how his faith helped him concentrating during his jumps etc. That is a nice coincidence.
But I am even more fascinated by Linda and her life, she is just too good to be true. This super-woman, strong and not at all traditional, yet taking holy orders, loving the colour pink and always saying that she is very shy, yet having no problem with walking up to a guy at a theological course and asking if he had any relatives in South Africa, since he reminded her so very much about a friend she had there. I want to write this girls biography! Javelin thrower, vicar and valkyrie.