New Signs

In my journeys too and fro I have come across two new British signs that I feel obligated to add to my collection.

The first is another in the "mind your [insert body part here]" series. What makes this sign even more interesting is the fact that it was plastered onto one of the historic rafters of Shakespeare's house.


Ah yes, now we come to my favorite sign of all. This wonder was spotted on my way to the library one rainy morning. I just could believe the humor contained in such a dire warning. Do you think that this is code-- that construction companies must really warn parents to tell their children that the construction area is unsafe? Do parents really need this much help in raising their children?

Good night....more to come later!

Special Day

February 23rd was my 22nd birthday and I celebrated in high style while in Oxford. Nellie made the day memorable by her wonderful cooking and special treatment. My family sent me a wonderful package filled with all kinds of goodies and treasures including clothing, food, and pictures from my 4 year old sister Katelyn.

One of my most exciting gifts was a personal book embosser given to my by Nellie. One of my goals while in England is to expand my book collection to include interesting copies of classic works of fiction. I have made several purchases including a 1897 version of Paradise Lost, a 1910 version of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, and several books by C.S. Lewis. The book embosser makes me an official "book collector" as I places my name and initials on the title page of all my personal volumes. It was an amazing and extremely creative gift! Thanks Nellie, you are amazing!

Stratford-Upon-Avon

I was sick of reading. I was sick of Oxford. So Nellie and I decided to go to Stratford to visit Shakespeare.

Our day began by catching the #20 bus from Oxford to Chipping Norton. Once there, we caught the #50 bound for Stratford. The whole trip took about two hours bouncing around narrow country roads in one of England's famous double decker buses. For those of you who are contemplating visiting England, always sit on the top, you can see better and you wont get sick!

Stratford is a relatively small town and was rather quiet until a few years after Shakespeare's death when people started showing up to visit his home town. Nellie and I began at the beginning at Shakespeare's birth place. The Tudor style house was occupied by the Shakespeare family starting in 1552. William was born in 1564. The house has creaking wooden floors, painted wall coverings, and drafty walls as was the norm in the 16th century.


Our tour was improved by a very friendly tour guide who, in addition to giving us the history of the house, instructed us on the history of the Star Spangled Banner, which, according to him, was based off of a popular English drinking song. He even sang the first verse for us. If you are either extremely interested in this fact, or incredibly bored, you can read the full story.

The second landmark which we visited was Nash's house, the retirement home of Shakespeare which he purchased for 60 pounds in 1597. It was one of the largest buildings in Stratford at the time. The house was inherited by Shakespeare's daughter Susanna after his death. Eventually, passed to the Rev. Francis Gastrell. Gastrell grew tired of tourist and Shakespeare fans poking around in his garden, so one night he went out and chopped all the trees (planted by Shakespeare himself) down for firewood. A short while later, after a dispute with the local town council over property taxes, Gastrell burned the whole building to the ground. Today's version of the building is based off of written accounts, drawings, and historical records.

Nellie really enjoyed the gardens of Nash's House. In the summer, the flowers would amazing. At the moment, they are just poking out of the ground. We ate lunch in the back yard of the house watching the birds and looking at the interesting bushes. It was a beautiful day, slightly chilly, but bright and sunny!

The final home we visited was Hall's Croft, the home of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna who married the prestigious Doctor John Hall in 1607. Dr. Hall ran a very successful medical practice which is evident from his richly furnished and decorated home which also contained his examining room.

At Hall's Croft, we met another friendly tour guide who was not quite as well informed on America as our previous guide.

"I hear there are a lot of guns in America" he said to us. "It must be horribly dangerous. "

"Not really, I replied, guns don't kill people, people do. Gun, knife, 2x4, it's all the same. We're no more dangerous in America than anywhere else."

He then proceeded to complain about the drop in tourism since 911, the auto industry, and American consumerism. "Nice to meet you....got to go!" Thankfully, not all of the English stereotype Americans like he did.

After concluding our tour of homes, Nellie and I visited several Antique shops in search of a copy of a nice old edition of Shakespeare's plays. I have to admit I was skeptical of finding anything, but I found an awesome copy of Shakespeare's Complete Works from 1910 in an antique store across the street from his birthplace. Now when I teach Shakespeare to high schoolers, I can pull out my book and tell them the story behind it!

Nellie and I enjoyed our tour of Shakespeare. It's a definite "must see" if you visit England.

To end, I must quote the illustrious poet and playwrite:

"Be not afraid of greatness.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." (Twelfth Night II.5)

Famous Oxonians

Oxford is home to many famous people. J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Hooke (inventor of the microscope), John Wycliffe, Samuel Johnson, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, and Andrew Lloyd-Webber to name a few. For a more extensive list, look at Oxford's List of Famous Scholars.

One member of this list is John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement and important evangelical figure of the 18th century.

Wesley was a student at Christ's Church College, Oxford starting in 1720. Wesley graduated from Christ's Church in 1727 and was then offered a position at Lincoln College, Oxford which he began in 1729. It was at this point that his brother Charles, a student at Lincoln began the "Holy Club" of which John and George Whitfield were members. The members of this small group were misunderstood and misrepresented by other Oxford students. They labeled the Wesley's as "Methodists" because of their adherence to strict rules for personal living. The name stuck but the Wesley's redeemed the derogatory term to its current connotation.

Being in Oxford has enabled me to walk in the footsteps of many great men such as John and Charles Wesley. Several weekends ago I decided to go on a "John Wesley Walking Tour" of the city. I picked out some important points in town and spent a couple of hours tracing the steps of the great Christian reformer.

The portrait on the left hangs in the great hall of Christ's Church College. The inscription below the painting gives the graduation date of Wesley as well as claiming him as the "Founder of Wesley Methodism."

The hall is the common dining room for the college. The great hall was used in the Harry Potter film as "Hogwart's Hall."

After graduation from Christ Church, John Wesley taught at Lincoln College where he is honored with a bust which stands in the quadrangle in the center of college.

Just down the street from Christ's Church College is a plaque on the side of a plain wall which commerates the fact that Wesley preached at this site in 1783. The church that stood on this spot was moved across the street a century later and renamed to the "Wesley Memorial Church."

The final site that I visited on my Wesley Walking Tour was the Castle Prison where John, Charles, and other members of the Holy Club used to go to minister to prisoners. Ironically, the prison was bought in recent years and turned into the Malmaison Hotel. The owners decided to keep the "prison decor" however, and boast that "Many of the rooms are converted prison cells." Rooms are not cheap; prices have gone up since Wesley's day.

Walking in the footsteps of great men, especially great men of God is a treasure which I hope I do not take for granted.

This post is dedicated to Dr. Jon Kulaga, John Wesley guru from Spring Arbor University.

Mental Excercise of the Day

I have just completed two hours of intense intellectual battling with my two tutors.

First, was an intense session on Mallory and Arthurian literature. My assignment for the week was to read and write on Morte Darthur (The Death of King Arthur). In the process of discussing Mallory, Dr. Bhattachaji (my tutor) brought in the influence of French literature, the role of religion in the courts of kings, the crusades, the feudal and baron system, as well as morality in 15th century England. In the course of an hour we pretty much briefly covered the entire Middle English period!

Immediately following the discussion of kings, queen, morality, and ethics, I walked up one flight of stairs to see Dr. Emma Plaskitt, my C.S. Lewis Tutor.

We started off, strangely enough, by discussing the role of religion in the American education and political system. Separation of Church and State...Creation vs. Evolution...legislated morality...the original intent of the founding fathers...and those were just the introductory questions!

After getting the preliminaries out of the way (I'm not exactly sure what these questions had to do with Lewis) we dove right into William Blake, C.S. Lewis and their treatment of Heaven, Hell, good, and evil. William Blake wrote The Marriage of Heaven and Hell to which Lewis countered with The Great Divorce.

Blake's scathingly satirical treatment of contemporary thought in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is shocking if it is not understood as a work of satire. It is not meant to be taken literally. Blake was against the "iron shackles" of the church and established religion. He considered himself and Christian and believed in the primary doctrines of the Christian Faith, however he did not like the established powers telling him to do this and say these prayers and go to these services. He wished all men to live under the "law of love."

Blake's ideas were really good in theory, however in practicality they would never work. Blake believed in the inherent goodness and perfectibility of man. Under the right conditions and with the right motivation, Blake believed that men could come into Godly perfection. As we know from reality, this has never happened. Blake never reached perfection either.

Lewis was very aware of the fallen nature of man. His primary point in The Great Divorce is to show that it's not the "big sins" (murder, robbery, adultery) that doom us to hell, it's the "little sins" (lying, nagging, complaining, laziness). Those who cling to these petty sins attempt to "bring a little bit of hell into heaven." Because of God's holy nature he will not allow it to enter. Either we forsake everything we are in favor of the things of Christ or we remain outside of his presence.

Dr. Plaskitt and I discussed morality, the nature of desires, and the reflection of a written piece of work upon the author. I maintained that Blake lived above his low philosophy of life, illustrating that his life's work was incompatible to the reality in which we live. Lewis, on the other hand, believed in the high standard of scripture to which he continually measured himself. He did not always meet the mark, but put forth an honest effort. The rest was covered by the blood of Christ.

Many of the philosophies put forth today (such as humanism, the new age movement, naturalism, nihilism, etc) look wonderful on paper, but when put into practice fall woefully short of reality. The same thing happened to Blake.

After two hours of arguing and discussing philosophy, literature, history, ethics, worldviews, art, and language, I was tired. So I decided to sit down and tell you about it. Now that I think about it, I've just been prolonging my mental workout!

The Spirit of the Lord

"The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war." Judges 3:10

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him." Judges 6:34

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Japhthah...and from there he advanced against the Ammonites." Judges 11:29

"The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat." Judges 14:6

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon [and] struck down thirty of their men." Judges 14:19

Lately, my quiet time has taken me through the book of Judges. I began reading Judges because I knew it was filled with the stories of strong leaders and warriors. As a man, I want to be strong in battle; both physical and spiritual battle. In Judges we read the stories of Othnieol, Japthah, Gideon, Samson, and other mighty men of God.

One thing is common among these men: they trusted and followed God, and he gave them strength. As illustrated through the above verses, the "Spirit of the Lord" is extremely powerful. When the Spirit came upon these men, it was not always in the form of physical strength. On some occasions it was courage, on others wisdom or insight. One thing is clear though, their strength was not their own, it was from the Lord. This is confirmed through the story of Samson who forsook the Lord and lost his strength.

I do not believe that the "Spirit of the Lord" spoken of here is the same as the Holy Spirit that is found in the New Testament. In all of the cases in Judges, the Spirit of the Lord came upon men during times of stress and difficulty. The Spirit of the Lord was like a mighty wind, rushing through, destroying everything in its path and leaving stillness and calm. No man could survive the constant presence of the Spirit of the Lord; its power is too great and overwhelming. Only during times of need did the Spirit enter into a man.

It is my desire to be a mighty man for God and a mighty man of God. I have been praying that the spirit of the Lord would come upon me when I am in need of strength, wisdom, or courage. This past week, I believe that the Spirit of God did come upon me as I was called to battle against Satan's schemes.

After finishing Judges, I moved back into the New Testament where I began reading 1 Thessalonians. Early in the letter, Paul spoke about the Spirit of the Lord:

"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction..." (1:4)

Here, Paul mentions both the Holy Spirit and special power that came with the gospel. I believe that this power could be the Spirit of the Lord that is found in Judges. Paul also says that the Christians have been "chosen" just like God chose men to be Judges in the Old Testament. Once again, it is my prayer that I will be chosen by God to carry out a part of his eternal plans.

The Spirit of the Lord is another of God's gifts to us as we face the challenges of each day. There is no excuse for us, God has provided all the tools that we need to stand strong. We must choose to utilize what we have been given. The gospel of Christ is more than mere words, it is power.

Lewis On Marriage

Note: The following post is comprised of excerpts from my latest essay for Dr. Emma Plaskitt, C.S. Lewis tutor at the University of Oxford.

Lewis on Marriage: A Critical Analysis of Marital Themes in
That Hideous Strength and Other Works by the Author.

C.S. Lewis’ book That Hideous Strength revolves around Mark and Jane Studdock, two newlywed characters who find themselves involved in a cosmic battle between good and evil. Their relationship with one another and their ideas on matrimony and family provide an interesting secondary storyline and reveal some of Lewis’ thoughts, opinions, and biases about marriage. When coupled together with the apologetic works and epistolary collection of Lewis, it is possible to gain a fairly complete picture of the author’s views on matrimony.

The very first word in That Hideous Strength is Matrimony. Accordingly, it is a reoccurring subject throughout the novel. Jane and Mark Studdock had only been married six months when the reader is first introduced to them. Their ideas and hopes about marriage had not been sustained as they had dreamed. In the first chapter, Mark Studdock questions his marriage: “But now…why had he married her? Was he still in love? If so, ‘being in love’ must mean very different things to men and women” (Hideous 2). From this point forward the gap between Jane and Mark increases; both geographically as they are rarely together in the story and emotionally as they pursue different concepts of truth.

The relationship between Jane and Mark is better understood if the views of the author are known. Lewis, in a letter to former pupil Mary Neylan, outlined what he thought were the three primary purposes for marriage:

1. To have children.

2. To provide a proper sexual outlet.

3. To help and care for your spouse (Hooper 392).

Each of the three purposes for marriage is illustrated in That Hideous Strength. They are also spoken about in Lewis’ apologetic and scholarly works. As That Hideous Strength is simply an outpouring of what was already firmly rooted in Lewis’ mind, it should be accepted that these were also his personal views on marriage. This hypothesis is confirmed through a study of his unambiguous Christian writings.

At this point, it is essential to make one concession on Lewis’ philosophy of marriage: he was unmarried when That Hideous Strength was published. Without question he was speaking from inexperience. That Hideous Strength was published in 1945, but Lewis remained single until 1956 when he married Joy Davidman. David Downing, speaking on Lewis’ portrayal of marriage in That Hideous Strength wryly commented that “Perhaps it would have been wiser for an unmarried person to speak more tentatively on this topic” (150). This is not to say that an unmarried man must never speak on the subject of marriage anymore than a British person should not be allowed to speak about America. However, it is fair to say that his writings were very idealistic. Lewis understood he was speaking from ignorance, as he freely wrote in Mere Christianity (104). He was very reluctant to include a chapter on Christian marriage, yet felt compelled to do so as it was such an important issue. The portrayal of marriage by Lewis is by no means an authoritative one; however his wisdom and clarity in so many other areas of life make him worthy of a hearing.

When Jane and Mark are placed against Lewis’ “marriage laws” they fail on all three accounts. First, they never intended to raise a family, they were far more concerned with their careers. The second point of marital failure, sexual intercourse, is subtly absent in That Hideous Strength. Their obvious rejection of reproduction adds further evidence to their chastity. Lewis’ third purpose for marriage, the help and care of your spouse, was also poorly fulfilled by the Studdocks. The couple is rarely together throughout the course of the story and therefore unable to meet one another’s physical and emotional needs. Jane commented that “…she had never seen so little of Mark as she had done in the last six months” (2). If two people never or rarely see one another, it is very difficult for them to be involved in their lives and to help their spouse. Lewis believed that all three features are essential to a strong marriage. No wonder Mark and Jane had so much trouble.

During the course of his career, Lewis wrote extensively on the subject of love. In Mere Christianity, Lewis devoted an entire chapter to the subject of “Christian Marriage.” In it, he reminds his readers that

“Being is love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling” (108).

The relationship between Mark and Jane is by no means a “Christian Marriage.” Lewis contrasts them against the ideal, showing, in his mind, the result of a marriage devoid of God’s principles. Without a deeper commitment to a marital relationship than “love,” couples are doomed to unhappy lives destined for divorce.

That Hideous Strength is a novel about the battle between good and evil. The background to that story is a young couple slogging through marriage difficulties. Through their struggles and failures, they emerge wiser and closer than they ever would have without the adversity they experienced. Lewis provided a glimpse of marital failure and reconciliation as an example for his readers. The relationship between Mark and Jane also reveals the essential need of love, sacrifice, and humility.

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Bibliography

Collins, Owen, ed. To Quote C.S. Lewis. London: Harper Collins, 2000.

Downing, David G. Planets in Peril. Amherst: Univ. Mass. Press, 1992.

Hooper, Walter, ed. The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis. Vol. II. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. London: Harper Collins, 2002.

Lewis, C.S. That Hideous Strength. London: Harper Collins, 2005

Lewis, C.S. The Abolition of Man. London: Centenary Press, 1946.

Lewis, C.S. The Four Loves. London: Harper Collins, 2002.

Schakel, Peter J. ed. The Longing for a Form. Kent State UP, 1977.

Modernism...

One of the unexpected sights that Nellie and I visited during our trip to London was the Tate Modern Art Gallery. We wandered into the Tate Modern on Saturday evening hoping to find our way to one of the higher floors for a night time view of London across the Thames River. We found much more than that!

The Tate Modern is a relatively new addition to London's galleries and museums (opened in 2000), and is dedicated to displaying the "National collection of international modern art." Displays include exhibits on Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimal Art, and, my personal favorite, Conceptual Art.

In an exciting revision of their stunning works of weirdness, the Tate recently re-hung all of their exhibits, much to Nellie's enjoyment. = )

Our favorite exhibit (and actually the only one that we saw), was the latest in the celebrated Unilever series by artist Rachel Whiteread. The Tate Modern Website commented on Whiteread's work by saying:

"As one of Britain's leading contemporary sculptors, Whiteread has undertaken several public commissions. She was awarded the Turner Prize in 1993 for House and, more recently, has completed the Holocaust memorial in Vienna and Monument which was displayed on Trafalgar Square's empty plinth."

Whiteread's current project is titled "Embankment" and was created to " invoke the sense of mystery surrounding ideas that a sealed box might contain." To create this feeling she used boxes....a LOT of them...14,000 to be exact! For me, the sense of mystery that 14,000 sealed boxes invokes was nearly overwhelming. Nellie had to hold me up as I was nearly overcome.

We took a picture.

My question is:

What do you do with 14,000 empty boxes when you're done with them?

Roadside English Culture

Whenever I visit a different country (and I am up to a total of eight, if you include Canada), I am always amazed at the cultural differences that become quickly apparent. Even more interestingly, it's not the big things that make the impression, it's the small, almost un-noticable things; things that are so common the local inhabitants don't even realize how absolutely hilarious they are! Of course it works both ways, I'm sure America has its share of idiosyncrasies.

As I have observed British culture over the past (almost) four weeks, I have been struck by the absurdity of some of their "road signs." Nellie has laughed at me as I randomly laugh at ridiculous signs as we walk down the street. I have been so intrigued by these signs, that I have started a photo collection of some of my favorite ones. Every day I come across another. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of my current favorite, which I just discovered yesterday. It is a blue sign on a boarded up building which reads "Parents, please discuss the danger of this area with your children." What, may I ask, is that supposed to mean? I can imagine it now, a British father toting his young daughter (or son) along the street. He stops, turns and in a very serious voice says, "Sally, we need to have a talk, this building is very dangerous and you must be very careful every time you walk past it"

Come on Brits, are you for real???

Anyway, here is my tribute to "Roadside British Culture."

Shouldn't I be "watching" for the step?
What's my mind got to do with it?

Errr, this would never fly in America.

Is this like, no shoes, no shirt, no service?

The British don't believe in articles such as "of."

This is a very effective sign.
I don't want to go through this door!

Who is "Bill Stickers" and why do they want to prosecute him? Poor guy!

The British have a way of making the most disgusting honorable.
"Rubbish" actually means trash!

Don't park your bike here!

My goodness, what are they going to clamp? My nose?

Sounds a little shady to me!
You may walk in, but you wont walk out!

Yes, everywhere you go, they are watching.



I don't even know why they have to advertise.
Everyone has tea and coffee-- big deal!