I do coins. One of my parishioners some years before her death gave me the coins her husband acquired on his many European travels. I just today got around to researching one of them. It’s from the Isle of Brechqa (also spelled Brecqhou), a small, small part of the English Channel Islands off France, and technically governed from the Island of Sark. (There seems to be a Brechqa independence movement from Sark, by the way.)
It is a brass brothel token, complete with phallic on the reverse side, good for “One Brechqu Knacker.” (I rather hope the lady never figured out what it was.)
The Channel Islands were occupied by Germany in World War II. It’s spooky seeing old photos of German officers asking directions from Bobbies, but there you go. More startling, there may be a Lutheran connection to the token. This from Online Catholics out of Australia on the occupation history:
[Leslie] Sinel became friendly with a “very decent” Lutheran padre who was appalled when ordered by a senior [German] officer to supervise the running of brothels (staffed by women brought in from France) set up for the convenience of German troops.
I thought I’d share this for my multi-tasking fellow clergy of all denominations who find themselves asked to do things they’d rather not.
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
