Good Afternoon, Twelfth Century

Another Saturday, another city. Today I went to Southeastern England (a region called Kent) to the great city of Canterbury. My favorite play is Murder in the Cathedral by TS Eliot. This play is a dramatization of the assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, on December 29, 1170. King Henry II appointed his pal Thomas to the second highest position in the land several years prior, thinking this nepotism might pave the way for his agenda to glide by. Unfortunately for him, the King underestimated Becket’s integrity. So, after years of disagreement between the two, Henry mentioned to four of his knights that it would be nice if Becket was “taken care of.” The rest you can read in Eliot’s masterpiece, which I highly recommend.

Since this is my favorite play, and it occurred in Canterbury Cathedral, I simply had to go. So, like the characters from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, I made a “pilgrimage” of sorts to see this ancient crime scene and acknowledge Becket’s martyrdom for myself.

My friends Dan, Jake, and I started out early for the bus stop to catch our 8:00am coach through London to Canterbury. The rain-soaked walk to the bus stop turned into a frantic run when we got lost with only a few precious minutes left until our bus departed. With 2 minutes left, in desperation, I knocked on a cabby’s window and asked where the bus stop was. He told us it was 5-10 minutes’ walk away. I looked around in my wet glasses, then turned back to him and said, “Can you get us there in 2?” Not only did this fine man get us there right when the bus was about to leave, but he boxed the bus in so it couldn’t leave without us! After giving him a huge thank you along with the reasonable fare, we ran into the bus, which was on the move before we took our seats. The Lord was certainly looking out for us this morning. I would have been down 19 pounds and a day of fun.

When we got to Canterbury (thanks to the wonderful cabby and the safe bus driver), we ate a British meal (I got a lemon dessert!), and headed over to the Cathedral. What a sight! I recognized the Cathedral’s exterior from the cover of my copy of Murder in the Cathedral. I must say—it’s more breathtaking in person. Inside was an absolute marvel. The vaulted nave and the ancient columns adorning the church caught both my eyes and wouldn’t let them go. I perused the Great Cloister, the Crypt, and the open nave, fascinated by every one of them, before making my way into the room in which St. Becket was martyred. I journeyed through a short tunnel into a small space, potent with candles purchased and lit by pilgrims. Now, the great controversy behind this medieval crime was whether or not Becket wanted to be martyred. Legend has it that when the priests whisked Thomas away into the Cathedral to protect him from the murderous knights, he commanded them to unlock the doors, for everyone should be welcome in the Lord’s house. Hence the famous line penned by Eliot: “The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.” Becket did the right deed… But was it for the right reason? Or was it for his own pride in wanting to become a martyr? I’m undecided. Anyway, the ancient doors that Becket commanded be opened were still there, after which having entered through them, the pilgrim sees the sight where the famous Archbishop was murdered. There is a sculpture of four swords (for the four knights) in front of a kneeler, worn down by countless pilgrims. It was a tremendous experience to be in the place where this historic event took place; and certainly something that will make my next perusal of Murder in the Cathedral more meaningful.

After touring this astounding site, the three of us were fortunate enough to attend Evensong (the Church of England’s equivalent to the Lutheran’s Evening Prayer service). Worshipping in a 1,400 year-old building is something I’ve never had the pleasure of being a part of before. We listened to the Cathedral Choir, prayed, and sang “Lift High the Cross” in honor of Holy Cross day. The clergyman who blessed us with the readings (I think) was the current Archbishop of Canterbury himself. I could be wrong though, as it may have been the Archdeacon.

All in all, my Canterbury excursion was the slightest of notches above my Oxford trip. For while Oxford was an unforgettable journey, I didn’t get to worship in a 1,400 year-old Cathedral in Oxford. Also, having my friends with me was a much-welcomed addition to this weekend’s day trip.

So, after making our bus by the narrowest of margins, eight hours of total bus time, and a full day of sight-seeing, I am feeling very blessed. Not only have I gotten the incredible opportunities to see London, Cambridge, Ely, Oxford, and now Canterbury, but every one of those 5 cities I have enjoyed immensely. In his classic play, TS Eliot wrote, “For good or ill, let the wheel turn.” And for me I can unequivocally say that this rotation of the wheel is for good.