This morning I got in my ‘ride’ (a pair of size 11 Mizuno running shoes), and went to church.
If you’ve read some of my other posts and comments around the site, you may have guessed that I don’t attend a church at the moment. However, I thought it would be fitting to have the LDS Chapel as a ‘central point’, around which I would explore other places of worship and sights that are on the route we used to take, and have made an impression on my perception and experience of the city.
York is an ancient, Roman, Viking and Medieval city, and remnants of all those periods can be easily seen: from the city walls that surround most of the old town, to the Minster: the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Swiss Alps, that took 200 years to build. As I ran through the city, I was impressed to see people walking to and entering almost all the places of worship I passed. Catholic churches, Methodist, Church of England, and Unitarian congregations: as well as church buildings that serve different purposes now. The city also comes alive on a Sunday morning with the busy shopping day that has developed since trading laws changed in 1994.
York’s history is punctuated by the conflict of religions that included the destruction of a huge monastery, and the massacre of Jews in Clifford’s Tower in 1190. Yet today, diverse places of worship endure in stone, and in harmony. Almost wherever you go in the city, and for twenty miles in any direction, the 180 foot tall tower of the Minster dominates and connects. From our home on some mornings, I hear the bells.
Ride with me!
If you’re interested in how these places map together geographically, check out the map below, with numbered placemarks that correspond to the image numbers in the slideshow. The blue line shows me moving in the direction of Church, and the red line, towards home.
View Ride to Church in a larger map
Great shots Andy! Reminds me how much I enjoyed York and how much I’d like to go back. How long was your run?
Just a touch over 7 miles… but I hesitate to really count it as a ‘run’, as I kept stopping to take photos. :)
Wow – who needs a church when you could learn so much from just a run? Religion is such a two edged sword; the word of God becomes a weapon very easily.
Angie: I needed to get a run in today, but I also felt that running was a very appropriate way for me to explore this post. Throughout the process of reassessing my beliefs, I have found walking and running an incredible therapy and space for reflection and – if you’d call it this – revelation.
More often I run in the countryside, though.
Amazing, Andy!! As I looked at the slideshow, I remembered how striking it was for me–when I’ve visited Spain, England, Belgium, etc.–to be confronted by so much history. We just don’t have that here. In most US cities, you just can’t drive by something that’s 500+ years old. I remember being in awe standing in one of the many cathedrals when I was in Spain, for instance–imagining how those people must’ve built those buildings, how long it took, how much work was involved, etc. And the buildings are so much more beautiful than many modern buildings–in my opinion, that is.
This is great, Andy!
The volume of history in York is just staggering: I’ve lived here most of my life now, and there’s so many buildings that I’d just walk right past and not notice normally. Choosing places to take photos was more about personal impressions for me: there are certain buildings that become landmarks in the mind… I think that perhaps distracts us sometimes, though, from the details in between.
Thinking about the 200 years it took to build the Minster: how many generations of craftsmen worked on it their whole lives, and died before seeing it finished? I wonder how they felt about it.
Wow, so you’ll show us around if we come visit, right?
Of course! You’ll be very welcome.
You could spend a whole holiday just in York: but there are so many amazing places to see within a short train ride here in Europe.
Andy- I believe you did go to church. After all, the purpose of church is to be close to God. How can you not feel God’s hand in the beauty of what you saw? The land, the river, and the creativity of mankind are all His gifts. How amazing to see so many different beliefs and histories in one trip through town.
Thanks Emily. I’m working on the idea of ‘geographical imaginations’ for my thesis at the moment, and one of the things I really believe is that the landscape (urban or rural) is an inscription of psychology: ours and of others. Running through the city was a communal experience for me, and I do feel like I have a time for reflection while I run… so, even in February, it is possible to take church outside!
Wow– a google map even.
I think that I was 17 before I had seen anything made by humans older than 150 years. (Other than photos I mean). I never can quite imagine what it feels like to grow up with that sense of history and continuity around you.
It made a big impression on me as an older teenager: I suppose, when I was old enough to have a job, and I could go and sit in the Minster on some lunch breaks. It inspired me, and made me feel part of a tradition, certainly. I think it gave me a sense of spiritual legacy, too: to my young LDS self, the churches were evidence of the grandeur and power of the idea of God: of faith and belief.
Paula, I think about this all the time. We’ve lived in England for almost five years. After a year or so, my eyes adjusted and I began to be accustomed to the sight of ancient churches, houses and narrow Roman roads, I got used to all that beauty and history so quickly. I always wonder how it will make my children different to grow up with these sights instead of the wide open spaces of the American West.
Brought back great memories of a visit to York long ago in another lifetime…. I suppose 15 years ago. Thanks so much for doing this (and showing us up with a map!!!) :-)
I like this idea andy, if your ever down in cornwall stop by and we’ll go for run around the old mine workings, they make for great photo’s and all have great stories and history.
Hey Phil! Great to see you here! It would be awesome to run round the mines in Cornwall – you’re on! You know, it was the first time I’d tried running with a camera in hand, and it was surprisingly easy to do – even with my big old DSLR!
Glorious! I LOOOOV Europe…
How is an LDS chapel to compare with all those ancient cathedrals (we’re such an infant of a religion)? As US chapels go though, it seems your York chapel tried pretty dang hard to fit in!
Interestingly, Ashley, the chapel looks much better from the front than any other aspect, or on the interior! :) The design is basically a huge long hall that’s divided into the chapel and the cultural hall, and a corridor of classrooms adjacent and at 90 degrees to it. In short: it’s just functional. But it is impressive from the road!
Some of the chapels in nearby towns are butt-ugly. Check out this one, where my Grandma attends: