We, humans, need an event to give motivation for friends and family to meet together – a birthday, a marriage, a funeral. To it credit, the Christian Church continues to provide some of the essential rituals that enable the coming together of loved ones wishing to mark an occasion. Nshorna’s three children, Milan, aged two years and D’nae, aged three years, and Kye, 9, were baptised last Sunday in the Anglican church in Torquay.
More than 60 family and friends met together – many for the first time – from babies a few weeks old to the elderly in their 80’s, a bridging of the generations, with a rich diversity of colour as well, with family members from England, Wales, West Indies and other parts of the Caribbean.
The Church takes a rather relaxed view of its own rituals. We generally understand that a Christening is the welcome into the Church of babies and children who have not yet reached the age of reason. In other words such children have not decided to become Christians. One is baptised into the Church after making a clear and conscious decision of commitment. Kye, aged nine years, the eldest of the three children, tells me his practice is Kindness. (We joke that it is a far better view that Kyeness!). He does not consider himself a Christian, Buddhist or any other religion).
The priest, however, spoke of the ritual as a Baptism rather than a Christening.
At the ceremony, the priest asked the parents to recite the Credo as an expression of their commitment to the Christian Church.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to Judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
The priest asked parents of the children about to be baptised to recite the Credo to confirm their faith. But the priest knows that numerous parents opt for baptism, not out of religious conviction, but as a means for the communion of friends and family and the recognition of the value of the spiritual for the lives of their children.
It was a day full of glorious sunshine. We put on our best clothes for the occasion. I believe it was the first time I had worn a tie for a decade or more. Some of the family from the West Indies had stayed up until 5 am cooking Caribbean food, veg and non-veg, for the heart-warming gathering afterwards in Torquay with the buzz of friendship, love and humour as families met with each other.
The following afternoon, the Jehovah Witnesses knocked on my door. They drop by regularly. I appreciate their core message of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. The witness at the doorstep pointed to a passage in the Bible where God said He would “establish his Kingdom on Earth for the happiness of the righteous. “ The witness asked me how we can know the truth of God‘s word on this.
I said: “I attended my three grandchildren’s Christening yesterday in Torquay. It was wonderful event with people from different backgrounds, cultures and history meeting together in friendship and love. It was a true expression of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The witness smiled. She agreed.