There is so much to love about England. My ancestors called it home. My favorite authors, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, were English. Alfred Lloyd Tennyson was a favorite poet. The musings of Chaucer, Milton and Shakespeare stirred my imagination as a young man. It is a land full of reminders of an older time, the middle age of Europe where great stone structures were home to royalty. It was home to the legendary King Arthur whose stories of chivalry and justice remain part of the social and legal fabric of western civilization. The period of time known as Camelot is an example of how man can rise above the evil nature of this world and fight to preserve all things holy and good.
I have explored Great Britain from Edinburgh, in the north of Scotland, to Southport, in the south of England. I have been to London to the east and Wales to the west. The history of this country is much more complex than I ever imagined. As I stood upon old Roman remains built 2000 years ago I tried to imagine what life must have been like for the Roman soldier at the northern most outpost of the Roman Empire at Hadrian’s Wall (basically divides England and Scotland). I have explored the castles of the Angle-Saxons (German tribes) who conquered England after the Roman Empire fell. I have seen the impact of the Normans (Vikings who were given land in France to keep them from warring on France) on society and culture after conquering large parts of England from the Anglo-Saxons. Most of all I have tried to learn about who the people of England really are and how the differ from Americans.
Generally speaking the British are very private. It isn’t easy for the average Englishman to open up especially to a foreigner. So much of England is immersed in subtleties. The English like to communicate without being obvious or naturally create a meaning within a meaning by carefully choosing their words. It is what they say, how they say it and what is not exactly said but stated within that. Got it? The American culture is still developing, a melting pot of competing cultures. England is a culture that has probably changed very little in some aspects for centuries. Immigrants are expected to adopt the English way of life. Part of their culture is the “stiff upper lip” that the English are known for – they take pride in remaining strong in times of trouble. Another unique characteristic of their culture is their humor – silly, self-depreciating, cynical almost childlike to the average American. It is how they make fun of each other and their society. It has grown on me.
There is a hint of some collective guilt over their imperialist past. The English empire was known as the empire “Where the Sun Never Sets”. The size of the empire has shrunk drastically since the end of WWII. Scotland is holding a referendum in 2013 to determine their independence from Great Britain. Canada, Morocco, Caribbean Islands, Burma, Singapore, India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and scores of small African and Middle East countries were all once or remain part of the British Empire. Some Brits appear to view negatively the influence and power they had on the New World. English sailors and explorers, much like the Portuguese and Spanish, brought death, disease, economic and human slavery and capitalism to indigenous societies around the globe. Perhaps the English look back and wonder if their influence was as positive as it could have been or if resources could have been used to further local societies rather than for the benefit of the English.
The impact of WWI and WWII had on England and the entire European continent was enormous. England was once a proud Christian nation but since the end of the great wars no longer. Many of the regular church-goers in England attend out of habit rather than conviction. Many Christians and non-Christians in England seem to hold to the “high” traditions of the church; moral living, charity, love, forgiveness, grace, etc. As I tried to immerse myself in the English culture one question kept repeating in my head, “why in a country with all of these beautiful historical churches was God so hidden, or even dead?” I went to a variety of churches and bible studies to learn more. I attended traditional and non-traditional services in old historic churches through the English countryside trying to answer the question. Finally, a nice elderly gentleman at a church near my apartment sat down and gave me his perspective. He told me that the two world wars had brought so much death and destruction to England, and all of Europe, that many had forsaken God believing God had forsaken them. According to him, English and European society has a whole began to lose their faith in a God that would allow such pain, devastation and horror. Before you judge for yourself this statement read first and understand the atrocities committed one “Christian” nation committed against another. Few English were untouched by the horrors of war and every aspect of British society was impacted by it. It remains a dark part of the collective British soul today. It is almost as if British society keeps it hidden away in some closet, hidden but always there. They have not forgotten.
I also discovered English pride. England is just an island a third of the size of Florida and with twice as many people as the state of Texas. Yet it has remained an influential, global society where their history remains an important part of many countries around the world. It is almost like the English are the patriarchs of many modern cultures. The English like to believe their society is “advanced” or they might use the word “civilized”. I would agree. The English seem to respect each other’s differing opinions more than Americans. They are slow to raise their voice when angry and even their politics remain civil, at least compared to Americans. They see themselves as an old and historically rich society. As a country they remain more local and less global in the solutions to British issues. Being part of the European Union has been hard on the English because of their in-bred desire to think and act as a nation rather than a collection of countries like the European Union. Decisions that are right for Britain, regardless of the impact on the rest of the European Union, come first. America has a federal government that holds power over the states. The European Union is trying to get the same economic advantages, with regards to trade and commerce, that the U.S. has but Brits are not willing to allow any person or institution to be central over their government.
As a society England is more complex than expected. The English build relaxation, friendship and social time into their lives. They love gardening, long walks and nature. Convenience stores aren’t on every corner. Most retail stores don’t open till 9:00 and many close at 5:30. You may have to drive 5 miles to find a gas station. Drive through restaurants may be 10-12 miles apart (McDonalds and KFC only). Pubs are crowded most nights as people stop by to visit with their friends on their way home from work. Life is very similar to America yet very different. Slowly American influences are finding their ways into different countries through TV shows like “Everyone Loves Raymond”, “Friends” and more. Most pubs are not the old English “boozer” pubs but are more similar to Chili’s or TGI Fridays. It is a wonderful place, the same and very different. Our societies are tied together in many ways yet our countries are very different as well.