Weekly Reflection – The Eyes of Others

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

The underlying meaning of these lines of Robert Burns are clear enough, even if the Scots dialect he uses might be unfamiliar. Seeing ourselves as others see us is never easy – in fact it’s a real gift. As it happens, it’s a gift we received at the cathedral very recently.

As many of you will know, Wakefield Cathedral has a link with the cathedral in Skara, a city in southern Sweden. A few weeks ago we welcomed five colleagues from Skara, including their newly consecrated bishop who had come to the cathedral for a special service to celebrate our links with the Church of Sweden. Our guests’ visit coincided with the Rhubarb Festival, so there was plenty going on in Wakefield.

Reflecting on our Swedish colleagues’ visit after they left on the Sunday, my overwhelming feeling was one of gratitude for their consistently positive attitude about everything they experienced while they were here. They were interested in everything about our city, and they told me that one of their highlights was a generous civic reception given by our Mayor, Councillor Darren Byford.

As someone who has come to love Wakefield in the six and a half years I have lived here, it was refreshing to have my own positive feelings about the city confirmed by visitors who were unfamiliar with it. It is all too easy to take for granted things whose real value is only noticed by those who visit here. Making an effort to see ourselves as others see us is a good way to be thankful for what we have – and a good way to avoid the temptation to complain about what we do not have.

With love and prayers,
Dean Simon