Bishop Geoffrey Rowell reminded me of one of my favourite English novelists, Anthony Powell:
“The image of Time brought thoughts of mortality of human beings, facing outward like the Seasons, moving hand in hand in intricate measure, stepping slowly, methodically sometimes a trifle awkwardly, in evolutions that take recognisable shape: or breaking into seemingly meaningless gyrations, while partners disappear only to reappear again, once more giving pattern to the spectacle: unable to control the melody, unable, perhaps, to control the steps of the dance.”
In his series of 12 novels that comprise “A Dance to the Music of Time”, Powell expounds on the buffoonery of power in a 20th century version of Ecclesiastes, albeit without the benefit of a metaphysical solution.
One of the central characters is Kenneth Widmerpool who, according to the Anthony Powell society is:
“variously pompous; self-obsessed and self-important; obsequious to those in authority and a bully to those below him. He is ambitious and pushy; ruthless; humourless; blind to the feelings of others; and has a complete lack of self-knowledge.”
I would add to this that he is the embodiment of power’s excesses, sinking eventually to the occult to further his ends while remaining an oddly incomplete or unfinished human specimen, universally disliked and, in his youth, the butt of cruel schoolboy pranks. He is a comic figure, the comedy proceeding from the vanity of his attempts to grasp the unobtainable. Widmerpool is the consummate buffoon.
The Anthony Powell society has a Widmerpool Award for the most deserving public figure.
Deciding on which prominent Anglican should receive the award is not easy, since the combination of anti-qualities is not readily met even amongst Anglican Bishops. Hence a shared award:
Archbishop Rowan Williams, for his innate buffoonery, his clinging obstinately to power while being unable to exercise any and for turning to Druid occultism for inspiration.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz for taking himself so seriously, his unmatched humourlessness and for general obsequiousness to Rowan the Druid.
Bishop Michael Bird for being self-important, self-obsessed, a bully, ruthless; and for a lack of self-knowledge – when asked what he believes at a local church event, he didn’t seem to know. And for the shortness which seems to inspire his Napoleonic ambition.
