Annunciation window

People at St Nicolas’, Great Coates don’t seem to be fond of or inspired by its early 1960s Annunciation window. They never really look at it, and, when I talk to them about it, they find the perspective flat and odd; Gabriel appears to have a dislocated wing, his lily appears to be stuck on the back of his hand, and Mary cannot quite get behind her prayer desk to kneel at it.

I have to make allowance for a personal sub-Christian bias against it having been mucked around by the artist (who I would liked to have met properly) and a large stained glass window appreciation group who once asked for access to it, arrived late, interrupted preparations for a wedding, elbowed the groom out of the way in the aisle, and then disappeared never to be heard of again by way of a word of appreciation or apology.

But their visit did make me look at it closely, so that I actually appreciate it much more now. I notice how fine the details of the faces are and how interesting the intensity and direction of their gazes is, and there at Matins for the feast this morning it added to my prayers.