Friday, May 7, 2010

Two great churches....faith taken for granted

Today we spent the whole day walking around London and visiting its famous churches and historical landmarks.   What fun it is to walk into the same pub that people like Charles Dickens, Teddy Rosevelt and Tennyson--not to mention Twain--all stopped in for a pint.  But what was so interesting was touring the two great churches of England:  St. Paul's the fourth largest church in the world and Westminster Abbey which is like a walk in history book.  Two experiences that stuck out.  At St. Paul's (again the fourth largest Christian church in the world) there was a group of about 25 of us that celebrated communion together.   There were thousands of visitors, but only a handful that heeded the call to come and eat the meal of Jesus. The good Lord knows we were on tight schedule, but it seemed almost oxymoronic to be in such a place and not take time for Jesus.   I think the same can be said for life in the world.

Second insight, I've never stepped on so many famous dead people in my life!!  In Westminster Abbey I stepped on the likes of Charles Darwin (I chuckled at how many Christian fundamentalist would have loved to have had the chance!), Chaucer (Cantebury tales), Lewis Carroll, T.S. Elliot, Handel (He wrote the Messiah), Isaac Newton (he actually is buried under his statue...but I might have gotten a hand or at least a finger.   But again here was the amazing thing...people were just WALKING right over these great folks of history, literally walking on top of their grave markers that dot the floor of this great Abbey.  And frankly most never as much gave any of these great men even a "oh it's you."   I wondered if these folks now dead and buried ever thought they would be reduced to flooring.   I personally stopped at as many as I could, tried to step around as much as possible and whispered a prayerful 'thank you.'   Again, I imagine I should probalby do that for the living as well.   Thank you!

No comments:

Post a Comment