Our Current Appeal

I am a sailor – of a very amateur variety. I have a boat in the West of Scotland, a small gaff-rigged cutter that I use in the coastal waters around Mull and Morvern. It is sea-going of a very different sort from that practised by the seafarers who benefit from the work of the Apostleship of the Sea, but anybody who goes out on the water, whether in a tiny boat or a large freighter, knows how daunting things can look at sea.

Living in cities can detach us from some of the fundamental facts of our human existence. When all our needs are satisfied in an efficient and reliable way, when we are warm and comfortable, when we are not at the mercy of the elements, we tend to forget our human vulnerability. We also tend to forget that however urban and technologically advanced we may become, we are still dependent on nature. In other words, we lose touch with what we really are. People who live in the countryside or who spend their lives at sea know otherwise. They know at first hand how small we are against the backdrop of the land and the ocean – and how puny our much-vaunted technology and power really is.

Such people often have a proper sense of awe in the face of nature. And with that awe can come a heightened sense of spirituality – something that is so tragically missing from the modern life, particularly in Britain, where the spiritual has been so crudely derided – mocked even – by out-and-out materialists. The emptiness of that materialism is now becoming more evident in the tragic social dysfunction that we now see all about us – in the sad existence of those who lead utterly aimless lives, devoid of any sense of joy or purpose. Anybody who has not seen that merely needs to venture into a typical British city on a Saturday night and see the scenes of violence and excess that are vividly on display.

I am writing these brief words on a trip to Bali, where I have been appearing at a literary festival. This island is a place of great spirituality: people observe religious rituals regularly; at every corner there are shrines and offerings. And they are, as long-time foreign residents here regularly report, much happier than we are in our much richer societies. Spirituality, in essence, makes their lives worth living.

The Apostleship of the Sea, with its fine pastoral work amongst mariners, is a wonderful affirmation of that spirituality that we must seek to preserve. It is also an outstanding example of Christian kindness in operation. Strangers far from home have their spiritual needs and these are answered. No man or woman should be turned away, or should be denied a moment of spiritual comfort and fellowship. What important and noble work. 

Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith lives in Edinburgh. He is married to a doctor and has two daughters. Alexander is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors. His career has been a varied one: for many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the United Kingdom and abroad. Then, after the publication of his highly successful No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which has sold over twenty-five million copies, he devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. Alexander is also the author of collections of short stories, academic works, and over thirty books for children. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Awards Author of the Year Award in 2004 and a CBE for service to literature in 2007. He holds honorary doctorates from nine universities in Europe and North America. In March 2011 he received an award from the President of Botswana for his services through literature to that country.

We are very lucky that Alexander has kindly donated his time to so eloquently put his thoughts down on paper about the valuable work of seafarers and the support that we at Apostleship of the Sea give them following our four guiding principles of: Solidarity, Welfare, Hospitality and Mission.

‘I am delighted that renowed author Alexander McCall Smith has underlined the important of the work of the Apostleship of the Sea port chaplains. Their support of the faith and welfare of so many seafarers deserves to be widely supported’ 

Cardinal Keith O’Brien

Photograph (left) Courtesy of Paul McSherry

AoS chaplains and volunteers recognise the huge debt we all owe seafarers. We do everything we can to make their time in our ports a welcoming experience. We would like to continue providing for seafarers and offering them Solidarity, Welfare, Hospitality and Mission. So we ask you to donate to this appeal. Support Apostleship of the Sea to enable us to continue helping seafarers.

We need your support to keep our work going.

Give £20 or whatever you can afford, which will allow us to continue our valuable work. Your gift will be used where the need is greatest. Just click on the paypal button in the Donate Today box  (paypal account not needed) for fast, easy and secure online donations.

Or alternativly you can post a cheque made payable to AoS to:

Apostleship of the Sea

Herald House

Lambs Passage

Bunhill Row

London

EC1Y 8LE

Thank you.