I was thinking earlier today that the fictional Doctor Who could be
described as jobless, homeless and stateless.
After all, you can’t really describe ‘being The Doctor’ as a job and he has no address, other than ‘Doctor Who, somewhere/anywhere, some
time/anytime’, and even if his home state of Gallifray exists, no one – not
even The Doctor – knows where or even when it is. So jobless, homeless and stateless.
And then, later this morning, this thought chimed with the announcement that Peter Capaldi, who plays The Doctor, has joined other celebrities
including Neil Gaiman, Cate
Blanchett, Colin Firth, and Patrick Stewart, who have come together to share their message of solidarity towards the refugee crisis,
by explaining why there is an important difference
between the terms "refugee" and "migrant". When the media and politicians confuse
these words policies and the money to support refugees suffer.
That means lives are lost. Worth Googling.
But where is the synchronicity? It lies in the latest episodes of Doctor Who, in which Capaldi’s Doctor prizes compassion above all other human virtues. The evil Davros tells The
Doctor that ‘his compassion will kill him’.
‘I hope it will’ The Doctor
replies, ‘I wouldn’t want to die of anything else.’
Peter Capaldi is also, as
it happens, a UNHCR Ambassador. I wonder if he took both roles because
of their educational importance. Doctor Who, especially in its 21st century Steven Moffat form, has
provided a highly entertaining moral and ethical education for children (and adults). So, of course, has Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld
novels. In both moral education is fun.
Sir Terry has always smuggled
humanistic insights and lessons into his work - and that is why I was/am so
delighted that young teenage boys love them so much. He has
subtly undermined sexism (even the opposition to women wizards/priests), racism
(one book was bluntly called Jingo), and xenophobia of all kinds.
As you may know Ankhmorporth, the largest Discworld city, has slowly become the place where humans,
trolls, dwarves, werewolves, vampires, Igors (the stitched together creations
of Frankensteins) and now even the stinky goblins can live together with
equal rights (one book is called Equal Rites). And
he made us laugh while he did it, right from the start with Cohen the geriatric
Barbarian and Luggage in The Colour of Magic). I shall miss
Luggage.
I am sure Sir Terry has left the world a better place,
and 'nothing became him more than the manner of his leaving it' as they
say. His sideways view of language - not to mention luggage (oh I
just did) - and of the world, illuminated us, educated us, and amused us.
Is there any institution he left unvisited and undone?
I will always remember his insight in Small Gods, that when we put
the things we worship (gods or God) into buildings, they die, and so
(this is my insight) we start to worship the buildings instead.
So Doctor Who and Discworld are two
great cultural treasures. And such
fun. I thank God for them both.
