Last Thursday Julia and I decided to take ourselves off to the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth, we particularly wanted to see the newly opened Mary Rose exhibition, which was absolutely stunning. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone interested in our naval history. Of course no trip to this particular dockyard would be complete without a visit to HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s flag ship at the battle of Trafalgar. I have visited it several times previously and in fact did a history project on Nelson when I was at school. The great man was something of a hero of mine when I was a boy, so much so that I wanted to join the navy that is until I found out that they didn’t have ships like the Victory in service anymore, and then I promptly went off the idea. Naturally enough we had to queue to get on the famous ship. We chatted to a friendly young Canadian for a while and then were entertained by a rather jovial sailor who was letting people on a few at a time and handing out a health and safety notice as he did so. Clearly he was not at all enamoured of the document he had been instructed to give to visitors and made occasional sarcastic remarks about it in passing. After I read it I could understand why he felt as he did for the management, it turned out, would take no responsibility for anything that happened to me whilst I was on board, everything that is ranging from me tripping up to dropping down dead. However the penultimate paragraph really got my imagination going: it read as follows –
“Please be aware that: the entrance and exits are low – there are low ceilings and beams throughout the ship, but especially on the orlop deck near the place where Nelson died: there are trip hazards throughout the ship, but especially on the upper deck near the spot where Nelson was shot.”
I started to muse on what advice our national hero might have been given if Health and Safety Officers had existed at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. “Well my Lord, you failed to take advice previously given and look what happened: one eye gone and that empty sleeve, need I say more... Now this battle tomorrow - we strongly advise that you don’t strut around the orlop deck dressed like a peacock, that’s just asking to get shot. If you do have to wear your Vice Admiral’s uniform then for goodness sake put on a bullet proof vest”. Well unfortunately folk were not so safety conscious in Nelson’s time and no such officer existed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now please don’t get me wrong, I do think that all of us need to take reasonable precautions in our day to day living but I do object to what I see as a modern day neurotic obsession which seems work on the premise that the world ought to be rendered completely safe; the fact is that in reality this is impossible, dangers will always exist and life will always be challenging. In fact trying to shield our children from all danger is in and of itself dangerous for it has the effect of making them even more vulnerable. Over protection makes them naïve. We ourselves need to learn and to teach our children what the dangers are and how they can be sensibly faced and overcome.
There were those in Jesus time who tried to defend him from the consequence of who he was and what his mission consisted of. His mother and brothers tried to restrain him on at least one occasion; St Peter tried to divert him from his destiny; and the crowd warned him about King Herod’s intentions towards him. Jesus faced life with considerable courage knowing that the cross was necessary for the fulfilment of his divinely ordered mission. The women of Jerusalem wept for him because they saw Him as a helpless victim of circumstance; Jesus did not see Himself that way and told them rather to weep for themselves.
Nelson, who was much loved by those who served with him, probably knew that his obvious presence on deck was required at Trafalgar in order to inspire those whom he had called upon to “do their duty” for their country. Sometimes we all have to take calculated (rather than stupid) risks if we are to really engage in life, accomplish anything substantial and become who we truly can be.
All the best – Fr Mick