|
This little story could have happened anywhere maybe even in Lanark but now it did happen this summer; out of nowhere, somewhere
in Scotland, as a city child would say. One can find Kishorn and the small Episcopal Church, Courthil Chapel. It is situated
half an hour's drive from Loch Carron, which is also about half an hour's drive from the nearest A road. (A87)
Almost by coincidence I stumbled on this wee church one summer day, out touring with my family in the North West. What
made me stop was the traditional Scottish Episcopal Church "welcome to us" sign. This church is actually almost
out in "nowhere" and is attached to the ruins of the impressive Courthil House with its huge walls.
To my surprise the door was open and let me enter into a fine and balanced church, which had both silence and the signs
of being a living church.
The only local information I could find was an (old) typewritten note attached to the wall. It was not particularly reader
friendly but that did not, amazingly overshadow the positive feeling I had being there. It was one of these places that can
actually create emotions within you. Even my son, strangely (!) liked the place. For this little story, the most important
thing was that it was open and that was also the reason to that episode that was to happen.
While leaving the church we felt we ought to take some photos of the church and the ruins. While taking the photos we
might have taken one step out on the single-track road and a car stopped. First I thought I had obstructed it by being to
far out on the road. One good thing about single-track roads is that they act as a natural speed limiter. But instead of rebuking
me the passenger in the car lowered the window asking me "what are you taking photo of"?
"A church", I said a bit surprised.
"Out here", I heard from the driver's seat, "Let's have a look".
The couple who come from Glasgow stepped out of the car followed by two kids in their early teens. Now the interesting
conversation started and I find myself being a guide, not only to Kishorn chapel but also an informant about the Episcopal
Church as such and more was to come.
The couple, who were by no means churchgoers, had no or very little knowledge of an Episcopal Church and now suddenly
they meet an Episcopal priest out in nowhere. I could not say anything specific about the church as such but I gave them a
small talk concerning church inventories and of course about the nice stained glass window. Naturally I took the possibility
to inform them about the Episcopal Church and some of its history.
Suddenly the subject changed and the woman told me that her good father had died just two months ago. That changes the
situation almost into a moment of pastoral care. Their experience of the funeral was remarkably vague. They had the impression
that it had been a non religious funeral, although it had been conducted by a pastor in the crematorium! That was not the
big issue for any of us at that moment. It was just an opportunity for her telling about her father in different aspects.
It was a talk about how he worked at the shipyard and all the family struggles Her story ended with a soft tear in her eye
and the husband's arm around here shoulder while we were all standing on the bewildered but sanctified burial ground a short
walk from the church.
Remarkably, all the children both their's and our's were following it all in silence and almost with reverence.
We went back to the cars and left the church in Kishorn in different directions.
There must be hundreds of people like the couple I met, out there touring around in Britain. I could feel the honest thanks
they gave us for this important moment in their and our life.
I do hope that the next time when they or anyone else need a moment like this, it will be an open church there on the
route they are travelling.
Dan Gafvert
LANARK, SCOTLAND
|
