Squinting for Unity

St James’ Church at Avebury, Wiltshire, has a couple of squints, which are holes in the wall allowing one to see the high altar from the side chapels. Elsewhere these have been called leper squints, especially if they have been useable from outside of the building, or hagioscopes, to enable worshippers to get a glimpse of the holy goings-on in the chancel, from which they were not allowed to enter. The good people at St James’ Church suggest that their squints were for use by the medieval priests themselves to allow those officiating at the side altars to synchronise their Masses with the main Mass at the high altar. It would be a large and wealthy medieval parish church indeed which could employ several priests with an altar apiece.

I have sometimes heard it said that Roman Catholicism is so much better than Protestantism because one may walk into any of its churches around the world and have the same service, the same readings, the same priestly attire, and even, until the 1960s, the same language. The same may be said of the Kingdom Halls, perhaps even Mormon and Hindu temples. Uniformity, however, does not always equate to truthfulness. Three synchronised and carefully choreographed medieval masses might have enjoyed perfect timing and orchestration, but could no more turn those wafers into Christ’s flesh than I can turn mine into the flesh of a water melon. Ecumaniacs wish all churches to share spaces, styles and even names, but true Christianity is not about outward displays of unity but inner, unbreakable union with Christ. I have more common ground with a true believer who worships in a different way than a besuited congregationalist who preaches another gospel. Truth is more important than unity, and unity more important than rehearsed, outward choreography.