<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar/29316727?origin\x3dhttp://courtingthemystery.blogspot.com', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

Durham - Thought #1

Sunday, October 14, 2007. 0 Comments:

Post a Comment






My wife and I finally settled in Durham, a place that is not lacking in charm, though sometimes in cheer. On one side of the city there is a great Romanesque train bridge, which stretches across the valley. On the other side there is a retail complex leased by mega stores such as Tesco (the British version of Walmart) and B & Q (an exact clone of our Home Depot). Somewhat in the middle, there is an old stone castle located on a hill, surrounded by a moat. Although not huge, the castle makes up for its stature by its aesthetic appeal and character. A few steps into its courtyard will take even the most unimaginative mind captive with thoughts of an older time, when knights, maidens, and nobles walked the cobbled stones. This castle, if located in almost any other city, would be a landmark by itself. However, in Durham, on the very same moat-enclosed hill, there stands an even older, taller, and more captivating structure: the Durham Cathedral. This great structure, whose story begins more than a thousand years ago, is the focal point of Durham. It towers above every building, including the castle. Its appearance is serene yet dangerous, almost saintly. It challenges the pious and the proud to consider for a moment whether there is something greater than themselves. This cathedral, which proclaims "there is one coming whose sandal I am not fit to tie", stands at the center of Durham, not only geographically but also spiritually. Its enormity makes it not only a landmark but also a compass. Those who travel through Durham will often find themselves orienting themselves, conciously or unconciously, toward or away from the great church. Whether today they decide to pay it a visit, or even just a glance, or long ago chose to ignore it, letting it become just one more unobserved piece of the landscape, the decision is theirs, but the cathedral with its message of the One Who Is will continue to stand so all may choose their way.

Labels:




Blogroll