Some of the things you can see here:
We visited the beautiful St. Bavo's Church, which was so much more occupied, which felt so much more church-like than its counterpart in Amsterdam. Here was our impression, at the time:
"We go down to the St.
Bavo Church, or the Grote Kerk. In we go, and take a pretty thorough run
through it. Thanks to that helpful pamphlet they gave us. Thanks also to some
experience, and patience. And to the
building itself. Pretty amazing! Such serenity, such lovely cool air, so many
beautifully textured surfaces. And the
organ, which we come to understand is very celebrated. Someone had pulled out the stops, and the exultant sound was filling the space most wonderfully. Immediately after, that same someone came down and went to one of the smaller
side chapels, and began to play on a much smaller instrument in preparation for
a noon-day prayer service.
"We found ourselves thinking of the beautiful St. John’s Chapel
in the Tower of London. We thought very
much of the Kirkwall Cathedral. In fact,
these old Dutch cities definitely echo the feeling generally that you get in
the Orkneys. That I got, anyway. Ancient, serene, sufficient. Really great! It’s Ingmar Bergman’s cathedral essay, or Orson Welles talking about Chartres, in F for Fake. The Body of Christ. The beauty of the earth. As we've mentioned so and too often, hurray for our
Mormon chapels. But imagine worshiping in a place like this, and how nobly it would equip you to go out into your community and serve."
Here's the Grote Markt, or the great market (obviously). St. Bavo's is just barely in frame, to the right.
We sat and sat here, for quite a while. And that was after walking and walking. Reflections:
We sat and sat here, for quite a while. And that was after walking and walking. Reflections:
"We are watching these
faces and bodies, as we have been all day, as we have been all week. What an array! Is this Rembrandt’s encyclopedia of
countenances? Maybe not. I think I just made that up, or hoped it into
existence. I don’t know that that is
R.’s actual accomplishment. Are these
van Gogh’s facial types? Definitely, but
I understand that van Gogh didn’t actually get that far with or do so many of them. Jan Steen's the proper painter to cite, isn't he? [http://bit.ly/1KKbknr]
But maybe this phenomenon that we're thinking about is more modern. Is it August Sander? [http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/5145] Definitely, except that that’s still got it
backwards. Sander didn’t invent or
create his bestiary. He gathered what
had always been, but not always thought of, or bothered with. The thing is, you don’t really need an artist or
a photographer. You just need this country!
"These Netherlanders
certainly have a look! Maybe several looks. Maybe, certainly, it’s a
universality. Chaucer! God’s plenty! We're thinking of their amazing hair, of the red, yellow, gold
pattern. Of these curls, and of such
variety! There are certainly some impressive specimens, but look how ugly so many of these people
are. How fascinatingly ugly, and how
many of these same people are arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand, in almost ardent embrace with some
other equally, blessedly ugly woman or man. Why not? Of course!
"And is ugly right? This isn’t any kind of R. W. Fassbinder assemblage
here. No, it might just be
post-peasantry, a great, universal victory after the manner of the Aristotelian
comedy. In this merchant nation the
small man rose, with a vengeance, and now look at him promenade!"
...
We love Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Here's where all that happened!
May we pause to report that the presentation here was kind of disappointing? Our nice host, doubtless at the behest of her superiors, was much more concerned with ministry than with history. The result of this priority or emphasis demonstrates again that just because you and your beliefs are good, doesn't mean that the artistic or educational presentation built on those beliefs will automatically or necessarily be any good. Not just message, but the crafting of same!
