Ghost towns can be found all over the world. Places where once many people lived together, which have been abandoned, left to be reclaimed by the natural world. Usually because the industry that they once supported is over, or perhaps because some kind of disaster drove all the residents away.
Ghost towns are, effectively, the architecture of failure. The concrete evidence of a dream or vision that failed, sometimes failed spectacularly. Or at least that’s the normal way of looking at things.
All over the world there are other abandoned settlements, some much older, generally much less conspicuous. The crumbled stonework of ruined hamlets, the ridges and dents of earthworks from long forgotten fortifications. These too are ghost towns, but much less distinct. When we see these ruins, we are led to think not of failure, but of the inevitability of change – the hopelessness of trying to stop the world moving on. Not every plant in the garden should grow into a tree, some flowers only last a few days. Their death is not a failure, it’s a simple recognition that not everything lasts for long, and nothing lasts forever. Rather than be haunted by failures, recognise that somethings just don’t last. If we’re fortunate, others will.
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I was part of the team who put together the "Christmas" themed communion service at the Greenbelt festival this year. If you missed it, and fancy hearing a recording, you can do so here. You won't see the angel, shepherd, soldiers or camels, but if you close your eyes, perhaps you'll catch a glimpse.
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