It's the Journey
The Revd Timothy Biles, a retired priest in this Diocese, has written a book reflecting on his experiences of "life in lands dominated by the Moslems of Pakistan, the Hindus of India, the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the Jews of Israel-Palestine."
He also finds heroes and victims from all the faiths, as wars and turbulence drive people to support each other in the search for safety and a life worth living.
There are remarkable meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury in a hospital in Pakistan, with Yasser Arafat in his bunker in Ramallah, a heart breaking encounter with a penniless Iranian orphan trying to reach Australia to find his brother, and hospitality is provided by Jesuit seminarians who inspire him with a radical vision of priestly ministry.
Father Bede Griffith, the noted Benedictine Friar, offers challenging wisdom and a vision for the future from his ashram in South India. And there is the illicit Egyptian guide who led him to climb a pyramid at midnight.
Earlier in life, Timothy had lived in Australia and found work in an office where he was amazed to find his boss was Donald Bradman, who later became his sponsor when he trained for ordination. Once, when Timothy was lost in Bombay, a boy cricketer who had just scored a century found him the bus to Bangalore. His name was Sachin Tendulkar.
For 20 years, Timothy was Rector of a group of country churches around Beaminster. He was an early member of the group who pioneered the partnership between the Diocese of Salisbury and the Sudans and remains a passionate advocate for victims of conflict, for respect concerning gender issues and for those who wander the world seeking a home to call their own.
In 1981 he was made a Canon of Salisbury Cathedral and in 2020 he was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours.
Timothy has been married to Joan, a teacher and ceramicist, for 50 years and is now in his 21st year of retirement.
His book is published by Christians Aware this month.
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