The rain continues to pour here in London. Occasional sunny
periods are brief respites against the deluge that has been the past few days.
I have recognised that there are many different types of rain here in London.
There is the mist, the drizzle, the ploppy drops, the big ploppy drops, the
shower, the steady shower, the steady stream, the steady windy blow-around
spray, the sudden burst, the long dump, the continuous downpour and Armageddon.
The last one happened while I was crossing Blackfriar’s
Bridge last night. I was walking Pip, Global Jourey’s Academic Supervisor,
across the river to the tube station when Armageddon swooped in. It was a
wonder our umbrella’s, pretty much useless half way across, didn’t make up Mary
Poppins all the way to the continent!
The city is obviously in full preparation for the Olympics.
We watched them do the final adjustments for the hanging of the Olympic rings
on Tower Bridge, then watched the cameras click and whir. We noted later that
the rings rotate up so that they face the ground while tucked under the top
section of the bridge. I guess this is for when large ships pass under
and the bridge is drawn.
We went to Stonehenge. I was looking forward to seeing this
famous sight of which I know so little. I’ve seen the riveting documentaries
about the alien connections and crop circles associated with this place, and I
watched the episode where Dr. Who opened up a can of whoop-ass on an invading
armada, but other than this I knew very little about the place.
Despite the rain, the hordes of people, and the slowing
traffic along the highway right next to the stones it was a powerful place. I
was surprised at how strong the sense of sacred space was to me. The kids
remarked upon this as well. While the guide was very eloquent in his teaching
us of the motivations of this wealthy farming community in building this site,
it was the sense of permanence and impact that resonated with me. These massive
stones may speak many things to many people, but to me the loudest message was
“We were here.”
We next visited the cathedral in Salisbury. Home of
England’s tallest spire and one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta,
I chose not to partake in the audio tour and just experience the space as it
presented itself to me. I am always struck at how peaceful it can be in the
middle of these places while hundreds of people wander about you; how you can
find solitude in a public space so popular to visit.
I spend a great deal of time and energy explaining to
students the symbolic importance of the archetypal images found in these
spaces, the architectural features that make the light and height possible, and
the relevance these places held for the builders and visitors from the past.
It’s all very scholastic and intellectual.
But, as I sat in that place alone, I was able to put all of
that aside and just focus on the spirit that this place evokes. I felt calm for
the first time since I began this journey.
I have found the past year to be challenging for a number of
reasons. Some have questioned whether or not I should have taken this job this
year due to the demands it places on me. The thing is, during this month I can
only focus on one thing: the course. There is some comfort in this limitation.
Also, when you see your students get excited over some art, or architecture, or
cultural difference it feeds your educational soul. I watch my beautiful nieces
see the world with a brand new vision and I am inspired. I watch these young
adults do the same thing and I am equally inspired.
As I sat there among the timelessness of Salisbury Cathedral
my thoughts could not help but turn to my own faith community. After a few
years of going through many painful and significant changes we are having a
difficult time maintaining our own sense of sacred space. We are at a point of
serious reflection as we consider our future. Like many churches in Canada we
face serious difficulties in relevance and credibility within the larger
community and we are left with a need to attract young families in while
maintaining our core values. Unfortunately, traditions and core values
sometimes collide or do not mesh with others. When we all have a voice at the
table it is sometimes very difficult to get a real conversation going.
We live in such different times as those who built
cathedrals like the one in Salisbury, one in which the few determined the voice
of the many. These were not great monuments built from democratic principles or
a call to examine our faith. These buildings are testaments to everyone singing
from the same song book.
Nevertheless, I believe the sense of community, of sacred
space, is the same. Maybe we will never leave behind a building with the
majesty of the Salisbury Cathedral, by perhaps we can still leave behind our
own legacy in our little village.
We took the kids to The Tower of London today. I did an
impromptu tour and managed to avoid making a fool of myself...except for the time
I feel ass-over-teakettle down the stairs leaving one of the towers. The good
news is the ipad is fine. The bad news is that I really hurt my right hand and
arm, my left arm, and possibly my credibility with the kids.
I asked them later if they heard what I said when I finally
hit the bottom. They hadn’t.
That’s probably just as well.
Tomorrow we take Easy Jet, where they pile you in next to
the chickens and the engine parts, to Paris.
Despite the weather, or maybe even
because of it, it has been a great visit to London. It’s a beautiful
city just
teaming with variety and activity. I feel especially privileged to have visited
it during such a dramatic time as immediately pre-Olympic and during the
Diamond Jubilee.
Tonight we all pack and prepare for the trip. Tomorrow we
see Paris.
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