Today we went on a tour of Westminster Abbey. I had an idea of what I would be seeing but I had no idea what I would be feeling. I am not a religious person in any sense of the word; it must have been years since I last stepped into a church. Yet ever before entering Westminster Abbey I could tell there was something different about this church. It gave off the appearance of grandeur and made me feel in awe. Upon entering I knew that this church was different than any I have ever been in before. Though filled with tourists, I could imagine the Benedictine monks of the past walking silently, in deep thought and prayer. There was something about that mental image which was very appealing. Spiritual silence; complete and tranquil.
On top of all this was the sense of being surrounded by great individuals, long gone but not forgotten. The burial ground of the “Unknown Warrior” was particularly striking. The story behind it was incredible and the fact that this British soldier was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor is all the more remarkable. Everywhere I turned I saw more and more famous individuals, whether Henry V, Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens or Charles Darwin.
With that in mind, I am glad that someones ideas we think challenge religious belief is actually buried in Westminster Abbey. Charles Darwin’s name has been thrown around to promote this and that and whatever else. But the fact that this man is buried in one of the greatest churches on the planet is a testament to the human ability to reconcile differences and respect one another, no matter what. Belief in God is certainly no prerequisite to feel the sense of awe and peace within Westminster Abbey.
