Minster Musings

The Minster bells rung on the Sunday morning that I looked over the rooftops at the spires rising above the city. It was my first time back in York since I studied abroad there the year prior. This time, it was only one stop on the two week journey I made with a friend. I introduced her to the sites I used to frequent and met up with old friends, but this time was different.

The January prior, I had gone with a romantic ideal of Britain that was quickly shattered. I had gone with a BBC version of the country in mind, but I found something much different. There was a drinking culture that I had heard of, but underestimated; subtle differences that I could not have prepared for; and a view of normal, un-romantic life. At first, I was disillusioned by it. I became pessimistic, uptight, and depressed because the country did not meet my expectations, but then I went to the Minster.

The historic church was impressive from the outside, but it was what was on the inside that moved me: It was massive, grand, and centuries old. Standing in the center, just outside the quire, I looked up and was reminded of how small I am, and the distance from the statues and stonework reminded me of how much I cannot see.

I had not really seen England for what it was until that visit to the Minster. I had only looked at what was different from the U.S., or what did not meet my expectations. I had not looked at England for itself. I had not tried to get to know the city I would spend half of a year in. I had seen what was strange and foreign, but had not made an effort to let England teach me. It did not fulfill my over-sized expectations, but showed me its true character, one of humor, compassion, and humility. What I learned there was that because of the vast length of history there, people know the smallness of their lives in comparison, and use that to see the value in others and live in the moment.

The next time I walked the streets with my friend a year later, I left the romanticism behind me. I knew York and approached it as a student approaches a mentor. I had experienced hardship and happiness in that city, and I had grown as a result of its teachings. When I showed my friend around, I made sure to take her to the Minster when the bells were ringing. Maybe she too could learn how limited our perspectives are and how we are only a small part of a big world.