From Washing Windows in the West Country…

Cleaner by atomicjeep

Do you know the name of your postman? I don’t. I’ve never met the guy. I leave home before he visits, and return from work to find the fruit of his labours already on my doormat. How about your window cleaner? I suppose it’s more likely you might know his name from the little cards he puts through the door every now and then. I live in a ground floor flat. We don’t even use a window cleaner.

Have you ever visited St Blazey, Cornwall? It’s the home of The Eden Project, has a population of about 6,600 people and used to be a prominent mining town for copper and tin. I’ve never been there. I’m not even sure I’d heard of it before today.

In the 1970s, a chap called Alfredo worked as a postman and window cleaner in and around St Blazey. Did you know that? I didn’t think so. I suppose if you don’t know the name of your own postman, and you’ve never visited this miniature west country parish, it’s highly unlikely you’d know about Alfredo… And yet, I bet he has graced your TV screen in the past few weeks without you even knowing.

You see, Alfredo Cooper was born in Chile, and relocated to Cornwall with his family in the 1970s where he worked as a postman and window cleaner.  To be honest, I know very little more about his story than that. I don’t even know if he was a good window cleaner! But I do know this; in January of this year, Alfredo was appointed Chaplain to the President of Chile.

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you about the thirty three miners who were trapped underground for two months in Chile. I imagine many of you will have watched the emotional footage of the miners emerging, finally rescued after their incredible ordeal. And alongside the Chilean President, offering hope, prayer and spiritual counsel stood Rev Alfredo Cooper.

BBC Radio Five carried an interview with him this week, in which he explained his part in the story:

“I am a chaplain in the presidential palace and so we had to quickly put together an emergency prayer meeting and it was with all our hearts because to imagine these thirty three men a kilometre under the earth not knowing whether they were alive or what was going through their minds… Seventeen days we prayed and then the miracle came when the boring machine glanced off a rock and hit them – hit the cavern they were in – and of course we just erupted in praise. The second service the president called for was a praise meeting so we had a thanksgiving service and then of course we’ve had constant prayer. And this has been one of the interesting factors for folk like us to notice. Many of the miners went down as atheists or unbelievers or semi-believers and they have come up to a man testifying that they were not thirty three but that there were thirty four down there – that Jesus was there with them and that they had a constant sense of his presence and guidance.”

Remarkable.

This is pure conjecture, but ‘conject’ with me for a moment. Do you think during his time in England Aldredo ever questioned the value of what he was doing? Do you reckon he ever longer for greater ‘job satisfaction’, as many of us do? While he washed windows in the west country, do you think he ever dreamed big dreams, which he felt were out of his reach? Dreams of changing culture and doing something extraordinary for God? I can well imagine that as he traipsed up and down the streets of St Blazey, he had not the slightest idea of how God would choose to use him in the future.

But God sees the end from the beginning, and has an astonishing ability to connect un-connectable things. He teaches shepherds how to rule nations, and prisoners to advise kings. Even the Messiah spent decades learning the trade of a carpenter. He teaches and prepares people through even the most mundane experiences. He takes postmen and window cleaners and raises them up to tend to the faith of a nation.

We’ll probably never know the full story of how Alfredo got from a mining town in Cornwall to the presidential palace in Chile. But I think we can learn this from his example: God calls us to work hard wherever we find ourselves. Be faithful. Dream big dreams. Take opportunities when He gives them to you. Don’t discount yourself. Don’t despise the day of small things. And get to know your postman.

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