Another sunny day

Once again, the sun is shining and the site is as busy as ever.

I am having a leisurely start to teh day after such a full day yesterday!

Breakfast saw me in the company of Irakli from Georgia. In charge of the Caucasus countries Scout area, he was telling me of the Georgian scouts and how much they were enjoying the Jamboree, in spite of an 8 hour wait at Heathrow for transport when they first arived.

It was fascinating to catch a glimpse of a Scouting Association in Georgia that was very proud of its links with the church.

He explained that Christianity had come to Georgia at the very first and had been in his land for 2000 years. It was in 327 that his church became a state church. With the Georgian language his church was 'autokephalous'. Auto means self. Kephale means head in Greek. Auto kephalous does not quite mean independent, neither does it mean autonomos, rather it means 'with its own head'. THat is very significant in the world of the Orthodox church.

From 327 to 1801 the Georigian Orthodox church was autokephalous. But then in 1801 Georgia was annexed by Russia. THe church was subsumed into the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ironically, the Russian Revolution that led to the creation of the USSR and the years of repression in Georgia, also resulted in the Georian church breaking from the Russian church and regaining its status as an autokephalous church. That is a status it has retained ever since.

One of the great Orthodox churches, the Georgian church delights in its singing, with rich harmonies sung by 3,4, or 5 voices. Recently, women's voices have also begun to be heard in Georgian church music.

He promised to let me have a CD of Georgian church music when next we meet. The chances of meeting again are remote on such a wonderful site with its mix of nationalities but we wait in hope.

I am now heading off for lunch down on the Plaza and then another duty in the LIstening Ear tent that will take me up to the end of the evening.

Thinking of you all in Cheltenham. Good to hear that the water is back on. Let's hope the drinking water comes soon as well.

Every blessing,

Richard