Two claps and "Hey!"

Two weeks of vacation Bible school ended at Holy Cross Church in Nassau with an evening show. Noise. Energy. Enthusiasm. All wereplentiful and much in evidence. The youth director--a trained psychologist--had worked on the minds and with the bodies. The largest group of children at the school were those in the 13-17 year range. That is really telling; these children know how to choose and often won't do just what their parents want. But they wanted to go and learn about leadership, and build their faith more.

The little ones loved the crafts, and that they got nice things to eat each day. I sampled the simple offerings and understood now why my daughter did not want to take breakfast before heading off to Bible school. My child is no fool.They sang and danced, and every child seemed to know the routines, music and songs of the other groups, which tells me that they had a lot of good interchange. I had had a sampling as we ate supper before leaving the house: "Choose Jesus", my daughter kept on singing over her pasta.

Everyone in the audience got caught up in it: Two claps and "Hey!" But, we were the converts, you could say.

My search for a good religious home in Barbados has floundered, as I wrote recently (see post). I don't believe that it will be fixed by touring more parishes, though I should test that and take up some of the offers that came after I wrote. I know that part of the reason for my dissatisfaction is that it seems that Anglicans there are not enjoying their faith. Maybe that is a harsh assessment.Maybe they do inside but it's never on show--that's par for a lot of Anglicans, but it seems deeper seated in Bim, almost ingrown. But I was glad to get back instantly the good feeling about being in church that I do not get in Barbados. I can say again, "God's in his heaven. All's right in the world."

After we left at 8.30pm, there was due to be a wake at around 9 pm in the church. Today, in the late afternoon, we will be there for a cousin's wedding. It's the centre of many things to do with the living, the dead, the young and the old. That's how we were brought up to understand it should be.