Hnaef has pointed out to me that it is George Bell Day today.
Bell is in many respects a great bishop. Brave, far-sighted, a great ecumenist. A tireless worker for the rights of oppressed of many nations - including, after the war, the Germans. An opponent of the bombing of civilians; a supporter of the Confessing Church. And, of course, utterly posh. Next time Dr Who goes back to WW2 he might do better to spend a day or two with Bishop Bell - who would probably explain that if you wipe out all the Daleks, and all your own people, in a Time War - then nobody wins.
So today our closing hymn will be "Don't let's be beastly to the Germans" - after which we will jump up and down on pictures of Noel Coward. I'm not saying George Bell would have approved, but at least we'll get some exercise.
Bell is in many respects a great bishop. Brave, far-sighted, a great ecumenist. A tireless worker for the rights of oppressed of many nations - including, after the war, the Germans. An opponent of the bombing of civilians; a supporter of the Confessing Church. And, of course, utterly posh. Next time Dr Who goes back to WW2 he might do better to spend a day or two with Bishop Bell - who would probably explain that if you wipe out all the Daleks, and all your own people, in a Time War - then nobody wins.
So today our closing hymn will be "Don't let's be beastly to the Germans" - after which we will jump up and down on pictures of Noel Coward. I'm not saying George Bell would have approved, but at least we'll get some exercise.
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