I was excited to read that local filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee has, he believes, tracked down the ‘Holy Grail’ to our very own St Albans!
The grail is said to be the cup Christ used at the Last Supper and has been the subject of myth and legend for centuries. Mark believes the grail is buried in a forgotten Knights Templar grave in the city but is keeping the exact location secret until he can excavate the site.
The Holy Grail is the subject of my favourite Indiana Jones adventure, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Alongside Harrison Ford it stars Sean Connery as Indiana’s father, an eminent historian and Holy Grail scholar.
The plot follows the pair racing across pre-Second-World-War Europe and the Middle East in search of the fabled cup, escaping the Nazis, solving clues, and getting into scrapes to find the grail.
The sub-plot is how father and son – who start the movie with a strained relationship – become closer as they work together.
They use their own unique skills and experiences to find the grail and with it their own enlightenment. Along the way they realise what’s important in life – not a supernatural relic, but a rekindled relationship and a greater understanding of one other.
Intergenerational collaboration can be enriching for young and old. For the past couple of years, as a local Anna Chaplain for older people, I’ve worked with the city’s Samuel Ryder Academy on a project where the students create portraits of older people in their community.
This has brought joy to both the students and their subjects, as well as producing beautiful and inspiring artworks.
The Bible recognises the importance of this type of collaboration too. In the Old Testament, Samuel, a young boy, serves Eli, an older priest and prophet. Eli guides Samuel on his faith journey, ultimately enabling God's voice to be heard through Samuel who becomes a prophet in his own right.
Shared experiences between different generations can enrich and enlighten us all.
Longer lives can offer wisdom, knowledge and experience, while young people bring energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas.
By spending time with a different generation from our own, we can unlock rich treasures that have been under our noses all along.
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