Mary Reid

Two oddly dissonant events.  Yesterday I attended a terrific performance of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, presented by the Kingston Music and Arts Service.  The full strength of the Kingston Youth Concert Band gave a thrilling interpretation in Leatherhead Theatre.

H G Wells' tale of survival in the face of an external threat in the Home Counties and London seemed to be uncomfortably placed before and on 7th July. The central moment in the musical is the conflict between Parson Nathaniel and his wife Beth.  He believes that the Martians are the devil whilst she is the voice of reason.

So to this evening's service at New Malden Methodist - A Time of Remembering.  It was simple service of music and meditations, drawing on Islamic, Buddhist and Christian traditions.

An extract from the Buddhist reading:

May our eyes remain open even in the face of tragedy.
May we not become disheartened.
May we find in the dissolution of our apathy and denial the cup of the broken heart.
May we discover the gift of the fire burning in the inner chamber of our being - burning great and bright enough to transform any poison.
May we offer the power of our sorrow to the service of something greater than ourselves