As the Queen’s Chaplain herself reminded us on Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’ this week, the word ‘jubilee’ isn’t just another term for an anniversary, monarchical or otherwise, nor a byword for bunting.
The biblical ‘jubilee’ was the blast of a trumpet, every 50 years, that heralded the write-off of everyone’s debts.
This “radical and counter-cultural” measure, the Venerable Liz Adekunle told listeners, brought “reconciliation” and a “clean slate”. She urged us to ensure “that amidst all the partying”, we “get a chance to remember the original meaning of jubilee”.
