Friday 15 May 2009

Unflashy mob

After the living statues at Grand Central Station and the T-Mobile dance-in, it was only a matter of time before the Church got in on the flashmob craze. Actually, 'Dream' (sub-title: 'Re-imagining Church' - don't you just cringe at that omission of the definite article?) is described as a 'fringe Anglican group' (how does that work? do they hang around on the edge of the cake sale?). On Easter Saturday they congregated in the Liverpool One Mall and, at a pre-arranged signal, took off their shoes (to signify that even shopping centres are 'sacred ground', apparently) and made their way to a grassy space where they formed themselves into a human cross. 

Unfortunately, the whole thing comes across as somewhat sheepish, low-key and - well, Anglican. The solitary heart-shaped balloon let off at the end looked rather forlorn. And, to tell the truth, the cross was somewhat shapeless. I know, I know, 'my kingdom is not of this world', etc, but if you're going to steal the secular world's methods you need to match its flair and pzazz. (Incidentally, guys: isn't the whole 'guerilla worship' thing a bit dated? That logo of Jesus looking like discredited Stalinist Che Guevara is just so Seventies, and with the best will in the world, your little throng of mums, dads and kids with shopping bags look nothing like insurgents.)

By the way, I've nothing against Anglicans. Some of my best friends, etc.  As regular readers will know, this is an equal-opportunities secularist blog: we mock all religions (and secular ideologies, when they deserve it) without distinction.

Anyway, see what you think:



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