Faith Matters: God's great tapestry

Ven. Russell Dewhurst, Archdeacon of Hastings, writes this week about the Bayeux Tapestry and the power of story in drawing us deeper into faith.

I have not managed to get tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry in London. Nonetheless, there is plenty to see in East Sussex, in and around the site of the Battle of Hastings itself. 14 venues in East Sussex are putting on exhibitions and events as part of Bayeux in Britain. I find the history of 1066 so fascinating, not least because it took place nearly a thousand years ago yet in identifiable places and communities which we still recognize. So the Battle of Hastings presents both itself and us as part of a great unfolding story: the magic of history.

That appeal of the grand narrative story is part of what drew me as a teenager to Christianity. The sense of being part of something larger. Being part of a Christian church which spans the globe and stretches across millennia. Finding out about the story of God’s love, which begins in the first moments of creation and will unfold until the end of time.

Walk into almost any parish church across the Sussex countryside (a few even dating back to 1066), and you tread on stones where generations have brought their hopes, fears, and prayers. They stood in the same landscape we inhabit, earlier chapters in a story which is, for a time, now ours. History and faith both challenge the illusion that the present moment is all that matters. They remind us that we inherit a rich tapestry woven by those who came before us.

Human beings are naturally drawn to stories. There is built into us a conviction that our lives should be part of a narrative that carries meaning. For me, the Christian faith provides that ultimate framework: a reminder that every life matters within an overarching story of love and hope. Of all the many great stories of history, I believe that the story of Jesus Christ is the true story that transforms every other story.