...at a busy London church, a quick chat with a young friend, a rush to the train, and then an afternoon in prison with a fine chaplain and an excellent young deacon. The latter gave a clear, simple, Scripture-filled answer when asked to explain about Confirmation,, showing its link with Baptism...I was impressed. The young men in prison, along with so many others, tend to focus on the "extras" when thinking about this sacrament, as with other aspects of Church life. One particular young man remembered "people all dressed up - you know, in their best. And you get a new name. Do you get to choose the name? Can it be any name?" Once the subject had been opened up, and the reality of Confirmation explained, he became interested...
The walk to and from the prison is peculiarly depressing, even though today it was dusted with golden leaves beneath a clear blue sky. The mix of quantities of rubbish, roaring traffic, and a skyline of a McDonalds, a mosque and a motorway is somehow bleak. The motorway underpass is evidently used as a lavatory.
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