On The New Set Up
I’m not sure that the recording took the sound from my good mic. I think it might have come through my phone. I’ll try to figure it out. There are a few tiny glitches in the picture. I think they have to do with the USB data cable. I need a longer one. Two steps forward, one back.
Words That Didn’t Stumble Out of My Mouth
I meant to talk about this but my COVID brain fog got the better of me. It’s related all the stuff about the dog collar and not swearing and being ‘Priestly’. And funnily enough to the Election here in the UK last week. It’s the idea of the ‘outside’ forming the ‘inside’.
Now, I like to believe that there is an unshakeable, unchanging, and eternal Jonathan Harris inside of my meat suit who is expressed through my being, presence and actions. But sadly, I think that’s (mostly) not true even if it feels like it is. Objectively we are reflexive beings even if subjectively we - or more strictly speaking I - prefer to think the outside is just a vestment that can be taken on or off at will.
Watching the election on the television I quietly expressed the possibly unjust sentiment that Members of Parliament, and the candidates that were seeking to unseat them, were all ‘outside’ people. They had allowed their suits and ties - or conservative trouser suits with sensible heels - to form their inside selves. The pragmatism and moderation that is often required of movers and shakers in politics, in the corporate world and within most sorts of (establishment) organisations had remoulded the inner person. Rather than become duplicitous and hypocritical (something we all hate) it’s easier and more effective to embody that outer ‘acceptable’ persona as one’s true self.
Now, even in writing this I’m aware that it might sound a little sneery. And quite disconnected from the real world. I could have said that candidates who stand for political office are prepared to sacrifice themselves to try to do good in the world.
My friend Chris Stone published this piece about Keir Starmer yesterday. Let’s just say it’s not especially kind about him. “You can’t trust a word he says. He’ll lie, cheat, steal—as he stole the Labour Party election in 2020—do anything, to get what he wants. He’ll take back-handers and bribes, undermine the opposition, destroy democracy, use any means at his disposal. Beneath that buttoned-down demeanor, that tidy bureaucratic mind, stirs a seething morass of primitive drives that fuel his lust for power.”
So Chris (as happens often) takes the opposite tack to me. He explains that Starmer has that ‘managerial’ ‘steer calmer’ (ha!) approach on the outside but it’s driven by something very dark on the inside. I don’t see it like that. I think the utilitarianism and the profound ‘transactionalism’ that is demanded by political (and corporate) life is what creates the problem.
And I’m just not sure how far we get by pointing our fingers at these people (who lets face it are far removed from us) and saying ‘you’re a bad person’. I don’t think it’s the answer. Or at least it’s not an answer that will bring meaningful change.
So my solution is to make every member of Parliament loosen their ties or unbutton their blouses and swear like a trooper and say the most outrageous sexual things in front of a live audience national television. If they mention foreigners, the poor or define any group of people by their situation, they’re out. Phone vote for the winner. Even if it doesn’t work it’d be fun. And it might help them rebalance their inner and outer selves.
Something Unique to Go See!
Thomas Sharp’s next event The Idyllegy – An Unravelling An experiment in language, ritual and attention is at St Brides on Wednesday 24th July. I’m working which is totally unfair. Sarah Kershaw (that Sarah) and Francesca Way (who helped immeasurably with CoB 2021) are both involved. It is a total one-off, never to be repeated and it’ll be magic.
Banner Video for Login & Sign Up Pages
This is a crucial part of ‘The Strategy’ so it’s really worth thinking deeply about and making sure it’s as good as can be. As I say, I’m not 100% satisfied with it. There is something about the ending sequence… writing now I’m thinking that dropping Sermon, Hymn, Dance, Ritual might be the way to go. Logically having them in there make sense. But then, what has logic got to do with it? As ever your thoughts, advice, opinions are very welcome.
It’s going to look a little weird in the super wide version that’s on Youtube. But it needs to be like that for formatting reasons on the website. Scroll down to get an idea of what it’ll look like in situ. There’s no sound.
The signup-login page will be people’s first experience on churchofburn.org. They won’t be able to see anything else without signing up and/or logging in. They’ll have been drawn to the page through Church of Burn’s social media. So they maybe rage clicking or they may be genuinely intrigued and enthusiastic. I think the video has to say (unapologetically!) who we are and what we are about.
Anyway… here is the banner video (roughly) as it will appear on a pc/tablet. Please note that in each case I’ve overlaid the video with a transparent header (Logo, Home, About etc). But although the user will see them and can click them they can’t go anywhere on the site without signing up and/or logging in.
and here it is (roughly) as it will appear on your phone;
Thanks to my friend Jonathan Greet for all the brilliant film footage he’s taken over the years - obviously without that I wouldn’t be able to create anything at all!
I’ll keep working on the nitty gritty.
Stay with me folks. We’re getting closer.
Jon Xx