“If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right.” - Katie Grote Addresses Pupils

February 7, 2025

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

love one another with mutual affection;

be ardent in spirit; be patient in suffering.

Extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you;

Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

Do not be haughty.

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

Today’s reading comes from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Yes, that’s right - the Romans. I am Mrs Grote, I am part of the Classics Department where we teach Classical Civilisation, Greek and Latin to many of you:

But that’s not why I was recently drawn to this letter to the Romans.

No. Today’s reading, written 2000 years ago, came to mind this Christmas when I was sat in the cinema.

I am not a frequent cinema goer, but recently I found myself there twice, and on consecutive days.

One trip had comfy velvet sofas, waiter service and a glass of wine; the film was Conclave: set in the Vatican, the heart of the Catholic Church, about the election of a pope. Surely it was this film, set in Rome itself, with spoken and sung Latin, that led me to think of Paul’s Letter to the Romans; no, today’s reading came to me on my other cinema trip: no wine this time, no comfy sofa, just the standard seating of the Odeon, and a fidgety six year old for company. The film? Paddington in Peru.

For those less familiar with this recent heartwarming movie, Paddington and the Browns make a journey through the Amazon to find Paddington’s beloved Aunt Lucy who has gone missing from her home for retired bears: on their dangerous quest, they face everything from white water, to poisonous spiders: yet the cause of their survival, as well as the original reason for the journey, is the family’s love for each other.

Today’s reading urged us to “love one another with mutual affection” to “rejoice with those who rejoice, to weep with those who weep.” In other words, like Paddington and the Browns, to love and support each other, in good times and bad.

In Paddington 2, things go wrong for Paddington. He is wrongly imprisoned; but during his jail sentence the prison changes from a place of darkness and hostility to a place of kindness and hope, because of his actions: he teaches his inmates to make marmalade, he brightens their surroundings with flowers, and tea parties, and, in doing so, a sense of community is renewed.

Earlier in his letter, St Paul talks of a love that is genuine. Paddington’s small kind acts in the prison are small acts of love, of genuine love. Nothing grand. Nothing rehearsed. Just simple, sincere actions, that create community and a warmth that is found again and again in the Paddington films and books. We can likewise create such warmth in our communities:

By holding a door open; by giving up a seat up on a bus; by acknowledging and smiling at someone you walk past, even a teacher. With any one of these, you will improve someone’s day.

However, not every instruction from St Paul’s letter to the Romans is so easy to follow:

Bless those who persecute you; live peaceably with all.

This is much harder to achieve, but Paddington makes a jolly good attempt. Mr Curry, his nosy and miserly neighbour, is almost always unpleasant and rude to and about Paddington. But Paddington doesn’t hold a grudge; he always responds with goodwill and good cheer. Living peaceably with all doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or avoiding conflict. It concerns responding appropriately to it. The next time something doesn’t go your way, pause and think: can I respond with understanding instead of anger? Can I, like Paddington, reject conflict and spread peace?

This has already been a lovely, wholesome message for a Friday morning: Paddington and St Paul are all about love and peace; so, off you go; follow their example; spread love and peace. But it wasn’t that message that led me to St Paul’s Letter to the Romans while sat in the Odeon that afternoon. At least not at first.

We sit here in a building steeped in tradition, in particular the Benedictine tradition. Excerpts of the rule of St B are read here at services every day: “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed; all humility should be shown to a guest. When a guest is announced, he should be met with every service.”

The key teaching of the Benedictine tradition shown here is that of hospitality, offered to all, by all. And here, in the middle of today’s reading, St Paul asks for the same:

Extend hospitality to strangers.

Michael Bond, the 1950s creator of Paddington, knew about this: he knew of families in WWII who gave homes to evacuee children in the Blitz, and to Jewish children fleeing via the KinderTransport. The background of welcoming strangers was very recent history for Michael Bond, as he started Paddington’s story.

When Paddington first arrives in London, he doesn’t know the culture, the language, or how to navigate the city and finds himself alone at a train station. In that moment, the Browns embody the Biblical call and the Benedictine ideal to “extend hospitality to strangers.” He is a refugee, but they do not see him as a problem; they see him as someone in need. They take him in, into their home, their family, and their lives.

But hospitality doesn’t just have to mean house guests or concern immigration policies. Who might need our hospitality today? Is there someone new, someone alone or someone struggling to fit in? Hospitality isn’t only about opening up a home or our borders; it’s about opening our hearts and minds and making space for others in our established habits and busy routines and even into circles of friends; that’s what’s The Browns did for Paddington, and it’s what St Paul – and the Benedictine tradition – ask of us too.

I could go on: St Paul advises the Romans to be ardent in spirit, to rejoice in hope and be patient in suffering. Paddington so often shows relentless optimism, amidst his many many disasters; likewise, he very naturally connects with people from all walks of life – antique dealers, tough, intimidating criminals, bus drivers, shopkeers, bin men – perfectly following the teachings of St Paul and St Benedict about humility, rather than haughtiness.

In the end, the lesson is clear, and it is the same lesson, whether we’re talking about the faith of St Paul in his letter to the Romans, or the Benedictine traditions that shape the life of this cathedral, or the world of The Brown Family and Paddington: who, today, quite rightly, I leave to have the final word:

“If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right.”

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The Tortoise, The Monk and Mary - An Address from Revd Child

By Eleanor Lewis • May 15, 2026

At the Home of Martha and Mary – Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Many of you will know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare - the one where the hare dashes off at the start of the race and finds himself so far ahead that he reckons he has time for a quick nap under a tree. When he awakes, he sees the slow but steady tortoise crossing the finish line ahead of him. A classic fable about two different approaches – the hare-brain versus the measured mind. Buddhist tradition uses a different animal to describe a similar thing. ‘Monkey mind’ is a way of describing that feeling when we’re rushing so that our attention won’t settle on anything. That state of mind is a bit like a monkey jumping around all over the place. The opposite of the monkey mind is the monk mind. As the name suggests, this is the state of mindfulness that monks cultivate as they prepare for meditation. It is a deliberate calming of the thoughts, so that instead of jumping around, everything is centred and focused. People who practice meditation, both in Buddhism and in other traditions, will tell you that this is hard at first, but it’s a skill that can be learned. The equivalent story in the Christian tradition is the one we heard just now – the story of Mary and Martha. It’s a little surprising when you first hear it; after all, Martha appears to be working hard, while Mary is just sitting around doing – apparently – nothing. And yet at the end of the story, it’s Martha that Jesus gently rebukes. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things…” Again, the story gives us two opposites. Martha is suffering from monkey mind – she is being hare-brained as she dashes round the kitchen, trying to pull everyone else into her maelstrom. Mary is doing something different – but she is doing something. For one thing, she is being deliberately still. She has found her place of quiet at the feet of her Rabbi. And for another thing, she is listening. The Bible tells us elsewhere that Jesus has the words of eternal life; Mary is paying attention to those words. Measured Mary is using her monk mind. The Trinity term can be a busy one. There’s lots to do – much of it very positive. Cricket, tennis, athletics – all those things you can do outside when the weather warms up. Drama, dance, music – all culminating in a live stage performance on the Lower Close in July. The academic year reaches its crescendo and its conclusion. At the moment we’re all aware of some end-of-year assessments coming up. In an atmosphere like this, you might think that we’d all go a bit hare-brained. Maybe we do a bit, sometimes – although actually we don’t always, which suggests that between us we might have learned a few self-calming skills already. All the same, I think the example of the tortoise, the monk and Mary bears repeating at this pacey stage of term. If we find ourselves becoming ‘worried and upset about many things’, try and remember that things are not what’s most important in life. God and other people are what’s ultimately important, Jesus suggests: ‘Few things are needed – or indeed only one.’ We concluded our assembly with a minute of simply sitting quietly, followed by this prayer: Lord God, you hold both heaven and earth in a single peace. Give peace among the nations, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. Amen.

Tilly G (Middle 5) and Her Teammates Win Gold at Cheerleading Worlds

By Eleanor Lewis • May 14, 2026

Winning gold at the Cheerleading Worlds is something most athletes only dream of, but for Tilly G and her teammates at Unity Allstars Flame, that dream became reality through hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Tilly is part of Unity Allstars Flame, an all-girl under-18 team that became World Champions in their very first year as a Cheerleading Worlds team. Their achievement is even more impressive because many teams spend years trying to qualify for the Cheerleading Worlds, let alone win gold. Over the past year, Tilly has shown huge commitment to cheerleading. Since joining Unity Allstars, she and her family have travelled around three hours each way to training twice a week. This meant long nights travelling home, balancing schoolwork alongside training, and giving up so much of her free time to follow her passion. Cheerleading at this level requires strength, teamwork, trust, and determination. Athletes spend hours perfecting routines, stunts, tumbling, and dance sections, all while learning to perform under pressure. Despite the challenges, Tilly continued to work hard and support her team every step of the way. As a first-year Cheerleading Worlds team, Flame exceeded expectations throughout the competition. On day one, the team suffered a minor fall during their routine, resulting in deductions to their score. Despite this, they still finished the day in 1st place and qualified for day two. Determined to prove themselves, Flame returned to the floor on day two with confidence and absolutely smashed the routine, the atmosphere in the area was amazing , they delivered a powerful, clean routine with zero deductions. Their outstanding performance secured them the title of World Champions, winning their division by an incredible 10-point margin and bringing home the gold medal. Something that Tilly will remember for the rest of her life. Her journey shows that success comes from perseverance, commitment, and believing in yourself. Behind the gold medal are months of sacrifice, hard work, and determination, making this achievement even more special.

A Buzzing Blake Studio with the Infants Performing The Bee Musical

By Eleanor Lewis • May 14, 2026

Our Lower One and Upper One pupils delighted audiences with two wonderful performances of The Bee Musical in The Blake Studio. The children proudly took to the stage for a special morning performance for our friends at The Great Hospital, followed by an afternoon performance for parents and families. It was a real joy to showcase the performing arts talents of some of our youngest pupils. Over the few weeks, the children have worked incredibly hard learning their songs and lines, while growing in confidence through drama, comedy and character performance. Their enthusiasm and commitment shone through in every scene, and it was clear just how much they had enjoyed bringing this lively production to life. The show featured some fantastic performances, with many of the children delivering their roles with confidence, expression and excellent comic timing. The audience was thoroughly entertained by the uplifting musical numbers, including the catchy Bee Bop , the energetic Bees Knees and the unforgettable Honey Honey Honey Bee Mine . Mrs Barclay praised the children for their wonderful performances and dedication throughout the rehearsal process, reflecting on what a special experience the production has been for everyone involved. She commented, “The children have loved every part of this journey, from learning their songs and lines to performing so confidently on stage and working together to create such a fun and polished production. I have been so impressed by the confidence, teamwork and enthusiasm shown by every pupil. These performances were a true reflection of all their hard work and of just how much they have enjoyed being part of this very special show.”