Dowell Conning: From Leckhampton to Eden
There had been much excitement and anticipation leading up to Dowell's return visit to Leckhampton - his first since he departed almost 4 years ago to join the Army Chaplaincy - and he certainly didn't disappoint the phenomenally large audience who gathered in church (which had been made available for the evening owing to a generous gesture from the bellringers who would normally have been practising.)
Starting with a photographic collage of the people and places with whom he has become acquainted during his time in the Army, Dowell took the audience through the experiences which have helped shape his outlook on life over the last few years. During this period, he underwent training at Sandhurst, Hampshire, Germany and Canada before embarking on a 6-month tour of Iraq. On return he was posted to North Yorkshire and is now residing in Wiltshire preparing with the 19 Regt Royal Artillery for a tour to Afghanistan early next year. For obvious reasons, Dowell has become more familiar with the teachings of Mohammed, and discovered that the philosophy of Jihad differs markedly from the popular image of the suicide bomber en route to Paradise. Jihad is actually all about attaining the 'final rapture' which can only be achieved once the whole world has turned back to Allah, assuming that we are all Muslims at heart. There is only one short sentence in the whole of the Koran which vaguely implies that suicide bombing is one of the 'gateways of paradise which Allah has opened for the elect among his friends' and Dowell indicated that no right-thinking Muslim clerics would endorse that extreme view. However, he explained that it is not easy for them to condemn that vile notion because Islam does not permit any critical examination of the Koran. Dowell contrasted this with the bible which, for example, contains as many as 5 accounts of the creation, purely and simply because the people of Israel didn't really know what happened and still debate it to this day!
Talk of creation naturally led to the mention of Eden, the focal point of Dowell's talk. Apparently, the location of Eden can be traced to a confluence of four holy rivers located near Basra in Iraq. It was therefore only natural that he wished to visit the spot, and the opportunity arose when he gained permission to accompany an army detachment patrolling the area. He didn't know quite what to expect when he got there but he wasn't prepared for something akin to a large derelict car park with a dead tree in the middle! To make matters worse, a rocket propelled grenade suddenly flew above his head and, as he joined the soldiers in a mad dash for their vehicle, he came under small arms fire. This was a defining moment for Dowell - the first time that he had encountered such a life-threatening situation, and in many ways it has strengthened his belief in God and the whole concept of joining Him in Heaven. He was visibly upset when he described some of the extremely young men (and women) under his pastoral care who have died on active service. But he did note that most of them had faith in God and often urged Dowell to pray for them and their families. Many of the young people in the forces come from deprived backgrounds and are relatively poorly paid (especially given their work environment and the dangers that they face) and it became clear that Dowell has grown to admire and love them very much.
There were touches of humour during the evening, the funniest being the tale of the REME welder who made a metal cross for Dowell who was delighted but curious to know why it was so heavy and was told that it weighed the same as a fully loaded machine gun so that he could go on patrol with it knowing what the lads had to contend with.
Few will argue that this was one of the most memorable events ever staged by Christians At Work. Dowell closed by thanking everyone for their prayers and said how much it meant to him. We will continue to pray for him and all the servicemen and women engaged in active service - Dowell assures us that it is making a difference.
Bob McNally