Yesterday was my birthday. I spent it with some newfound friends in Alabama, a part of the world I had never been before. I enjoyed it a lot. My birthday lunch involved fried catfish and sweet tea, which is an … interesting combination. In the afternoon I was taken kayaking on a lake. I had no idea Alabama was so forested. I wanted to wander into the woods and get lost for weeks. Maybe next year.
It wasn’t all fun and games though. I was in town to give a lecture. I’d been invited to talk on the theme of ‘Resisting the Machine and renewing the Church.’ In response, I talked about J. R. R. Tolkien, Arthur C. Clarke, D. H. Lawrence, robot priests, the Garden of Eden, Steve Jobs, Sir Wilfred Thesiger, the abolition of nature, and how to take a hammer to your smartphone.
Afterwards I met some of the readers of this Substack, which is always a treat - thanks to those of you who made it. It was an interesting and lively crowd. I was chuffed to see that among them was Father Stephen Freeman, one of my personal Orthodox inspirations, who you ought to read if you don’t already. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but on this occasion that was bad advice.
I’m still in the US, though no longer in the Deep South. Tomorrow night - Tuesday 22nd October - I’ll be talking about Christianity and nature in Buffalo, NY. Come along if you’re around.
*on your iPhone
Bring That Hammer Down*