St. George, Merrie England And Eastertide

As Guardian of an international Community God has given me a deep love of different countries outside UK. Within UK, we who draw inspiration from Celtic sources often neglect England at the expense of the so-called 'six Celtic nations'. Sometimes English people resent this, and there is indeed a rising interest in what constitutes the English spirit. Some call for April 23 - Shakespeare's birthday and St. George's Day - to become an English national holiday. I have at times been a bit embarrassed about this. However, during the move to my new house I came across an old hand-written page that someone had copied from the Visitors Book in Holy Island's Marygate House for Easter 1987, entitled Gladsong. It includes the following:

"He shall awake these counties. He shall shake the shires with morning. He shall ring the bells of Easter stirring westwards to ears that are young to hear. He shall start up the story of enterprise with wild words fathered with feeling.

England, lift up your pecker, tell 'em as it's time to fetch the maypole out of mothballs and dance, dance for Him and Albion. England is to be the Queen of May - hawthorn put out more flags - oak, for this you grew your silver bough - ash, let your black buds burst with the new, the King has come for his Anglia, his own earth-angel that he loved of old.

Wake up the ones in the graveyard of sleep, wake them up - they're going to miss eternity. The long lines of the hills are lifted up with pride for his processional, the rivers ripple clearly their applause, sycamores in full relief rejoice to see Him, geraniums cheer Him from way-side window boxes. Parish churches choke with a mother's pride..."

This lifts the heart. Maybe it will inspire blog readers from other countries to write an Easter paean that reflects the distinctive glories of your land. If so, I'd love to receive them.