91Èȱ¬

The Buckinghamshire market town of High Wycombe has a custom dating back to medieval times of weighing the new mayor in full public view in order to see whether he or she has been getting fat at the taxpayers' expense.  The mayor and corporation are traditionally required to sit on a specially erected scale to have their weight recorded and compared with last year's.  If their weight is steady, the macebearer calls out the weight, adding the words, ‘And no more!’ This means that they’re judged to have worked hard for the local community, who cheer and clap to show their appreciation.  But if the macebearer finds that the mayor’s weight has crept up, he adds the words, ‘and some more!'  This means that the mayor is judged to have lived a life of indulgence at the ratepayers' expense, so the crowd jeers and boos.  In the past they would also throw rotten tomatoes and fruit.In other parts of the world there are less colourful ways of trying to assess whether or not public servants have done a good job on behalf of those they represent.  We say of people who are arrogant and over-bearing that they ‘throw their weight around’.  We also say of people whom we treasure and value that they’re ‘worth their weight in gold’.  The doors of many medieval cathedrals show the devil and St. Michael weighing up each soul to find out their worth.  Often St. Michael is seen leaning on the scales to make them come down in his favour.  God is willing to put his weight behind us in order to save us.Merciful God, you know our every thought and deed.  Judge us not by what we deserve, but by the measure of your love.  Amen.