Mothers' Union: Greenbelt Festival never fails to revive my hopes

By Julia Tum, Mothers’ Union branch leader, St John the Divine, Rastrick:

Change is often driven by people in the face of evil and despair and their dream for a better world. If we add God into the mix all things can be made possible. We must develop a way of seeing that our beliefs, love, compassion and generosity can help change our fragile and insubstantial world.

These are some of the words expressed at Greenbelt in their massive festival programme. Last week I attended for my third time and it never fails to revive my hopes. There were over 25,000 people attending, the vast majority slept in tents sited over the massive Estate belonging to Boughton House. This stately home is in Northamptonshire with grounds expanding over 11,000 acres. The whole setting is beautiful and stunning.

Over three heady days I attended singing workshops, learnt four chords on a ukulele, immersed myself in tai chi sessions, and Lindy Hop dancing classes! I attended talks about Palestinian/Israeli conflict, listened to wild music from a variety of different artists and genres, joined with 400 others in a conversation with Corinne Bailey Rae, and a conversation with Rev Kate Bottley. I listened to Chris Read as he sang his own compositions and Harry Baker, an amazing wordsmith, author and poet. Both artists moved me to tears of laughter, joy and grief.

Luke Harding, journalist, presented a bloody picture of the invasion of Ukraine by Putin and his Russian tanks. He graphically illustrated the impact on the Ukrainian people, and what the battle looks like close up. There must have been 300 people crammed into a big marquee listening to him in silence and disbelief. At the end he asked if there were any questions. One telling question was from a man who asked what we could do. Some answers were to support the Ukrainians in our prayers, take in those who are being displaced, and lobby our MPs.

I put my hand up but I was too far away from the centre of the marquee to reach the hand-held mic connected to the main mic. Invited to go closer, I worryingly picked my way across feet, crossed legs on the floor, small chairs and arms… worried that I would topple given my own fragile lack of balance, but I got there. I stood and said that I was from the Mothers’ Union in the Leeds Diocese. I reiterated what we were doing i.e. collecting wax and small tins and how they were being sent to Ukraine as candles to be used in the trenches by the soldiers to warm their hands, heat a can of water for a cup of tea, and bring light to their surroundings. I said that far from being useless, we were being useful. I was given a round of applause.

Someone came out of the marquee at the end to speak to me and another wrote to the Secretary of the MU in the Leeds Diocese to get my details.

Thank you, Greenbelt for giving me a voice. Thank you, Greenbelt for a wonderful four days. What a joy light is in our lives. What a joy God is in our lives.