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| St. Paul's Church |
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| Bill with the Stars and Stripes |
Today one of Mary Carloyn's friends came for lunch. Conversations of this sort are always interesting when you're in another country - politics, culture, world view - all get discussed and give you an insight into how other people in other nations think, and usually contradict your general prejudices. This seems to be a country of contradiction, difference and unity. For example, although it's such a big country, people seem to move about it a lot and most of the ones we've met seem to have lived in more than one state, and often several at different times in their lives. This probably helps to establish their national identity given the diversity between the states. Another contradiction, historical this time - Thomas Jefferson roundly condemned slavery - but had 200 slaves of his own, whereas Robert E. Lee had freed all his slaves before the civil war started but fought for and led the Confederates against the Yankees all the same. That's history for you. There are flags everywhere - outside university buildings, in shopping malls - it's another statement of identity I expect. I don't expect that the Union Jack would survive long if it was flying above Asda at home. It would probably be torn down and replaced with a traffic cone..... but then that is probably a statement of identity too.
In the evening, we arrived (late) for the St. Nicholas event. They had finished the service and got to the food - always a good place to be. A lady was telling the story of St Nicholas and then he appeared! Clad in a thick red velvet robe, gold and jewelled mitre on his head and a luxuriant white beard which conveniently concealed his face (and thus any alternative identity he might have had). He spoke to the kids and then told them to take off one shoe, place it on the table, and cover their eyes. When they opened them, he had disappeared and sweets had miraculously appeared in their shoes! Thereafter I joined a small group discussing theology, and again witnessed the struggle with what is American identity and what should it be? An ongoing theme, it seems.
In the evening, we arrived (late) for the St. Nicholas event. They had finished the service and got to the food - always a good place to be. A lady was telling the story of St Nicholas and then he appeared! Clad in a thick red velvet robe, gold and jewelled mitre on his head and a luxuriant white beard which conveniently concealed his face (and thus any alternative identity he might have had). He spoke to the kids and then told them to take off one shoe, place it on the table, and cover their eyes. When they opened them, he had disappeared and sweets had miraculously appeared in their shoes! Thereafter I joined a small group discussing theology, and again witnessed the struggle with what is American identity and what should it be? An ongoing theme, it seems.
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