Tuesday 24 August: Unexpected Day!

Hmmm… despite a highly organised programme, today didn’t turn out for me at all the way I was expecting.

At breakfast time, a senior colleague of mine, with whom I’ve worked closely at previous congresses came over to explain that overnight he’d lost the sight in one eye. He had had a cataract operation in the Netherlands a few weeks ago, and although everything had been pronounced well, a complication had obviously developed. He needed now to find a doctor and perhaps to get some treatment. His difficulty was, that he was due to deliver a paper to the conference this afternoon – would I please cover for him by reading his text in his stead. ‘Actually, Franz, no’, just didn’t seem like an option. So of course I said it would be a privilege. Whereupon he handed over his text and some supplementary papers.

So I checked out the morning programme and decided that I would skip the first session in order to have a read through of his paper. Or two. The first session was, in any case, a rather dense looking theological study to be delivered in German. The second session looked more interesting – an account of ‘Calvin’s Catholicity’. But I figured 90 minutes of preparation would be enough.
Unfortunately, there had been some delay on the photocopying of the English translation of the first paper. So unknown to me, the first two sessions were switched around and while I was in a sideroom reading through Franz’s work, I was missing the session I had hoped to attend. Heigh ho.
In the event, for one thing I was waiting a bit anxiously for GCSE news from home (which came through by text and was fine!), and for another the preparation took a bit longer than I expected, and for another I was feeling a bit peeved at missing the ‘Catholicity’ paper, and for another the sun was shining outside… so the upshot was that I skipped the second session too and spent a relaxing hour in the gardens instead, soaking up some rays.

Then, after lunch, I read Franz’s paper. It was an odd experience, but I was glad to do it. He’s a fine scholar and he had put together a strong argument for the case he was making – but he’s a Dutchman whose English (while stacks better than my Dutch!) is a bit Germanic… so I was trying to ensure it was his voice that people were hearing, while tidying up the grammar and syntax at least a bit! In the event his doctor’s appointments went well in the morning, and he was not only able to be there (albeit with a huge patch over one eye), but was able to field questions after I’d delivered his talk. And he’s been reassured that the eye will right itself in a few days.

I did attend one of the afternoon sessions, but I’m afraid by 5.15 I’d had enough for the day. My brain was full. So, now into the swing of bunking off, I took myself off for a walk round the University Campus during the last session.

Now we’re back at the accommodation, as early as we’ve managed it so far (8.15pm local time). We’re all intending to have an early night, since we’re departing by coach tomorrow at 7.00am for the kingdom of Lesotho, for a day’s excursion. Should be great.

Except of course, that it may turn out as unexpectedly as today.