Those Glorious Ruins

Rievaulx Abbey

A familiar sense of tranquility settles on me as I stroll up to what remains of Rievaulx Abbey.  Like every other of its kind, I am at peace here, and enjoy strolling through the ruin.  The north of England is dotted with such structures, all thanks to Henry VIII.

In the 1530s, Henry VIII disbanded the monasteries (and other houses of similar function) throughout England in what became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.  His reason was primarily to transfer the wealth of the Medieval Church to his own coffers, though perhaps he also had religious reform on his mind- after all, he had proclaimed himself the head of the Church of England just two years prior.  Over time, monasteries became or were made uninhabitable (generally by removing the roof) and their tenants moved elsewhere.  The buildings were (at least partially) demolished, the valuable stone being scavenged for other structures.  A critical part of the Medieval culture was turned on its head, for better or worse, and resulted in the ruins so prevalent today throughout England.

Why do I find this delapidation so picturesque?  Why am I so stirred looking at the haphazard piles of stone; so at peace gazing upon such scenes?  I wish I had an answer- I experience little such emotion when visiting intact structures of antiquity.  Perhaps it's this: I find in these ruins a refreshing honesty- a sober truth.  Things fall apart.  Our best work- our biggest efforts- are temporary and soon lost to the passage of time.  Destroyed by man or nature, our utmost soon vanishes.  "The grass withers, the flower fades . . ." (Isaiah 40:8a).  We are transitory . . . so why does that bring me peace?

Perhaps it's counter-intuitive, but thinking on our transcience settles me because it turns me towards the permanent.  Above I quoted the first half of a verse- here's the second: "but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8b)  That is what matters.  Not the little things in life that tend to so dominate us- whether we focus on the big (job, shelter, food) or small (entertainment, traffic, etc), everything about our current realities will fade and wither.  In 100 years, there will be little to no reminder that we ever existed.  With that in mind, how should we then live?  That is another topic for another time . . . for now, it's enough to remember that we should live our lives focused on the permanent, for we are here today and gone tomorrow.  "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (James 4:14b) 

If you're able to visit any abbey ruins, below are photos from 12 such sites in North England.

The location of the 12 abbeys shown below

Fountains Abbey

Rievaulx Abbey

Kirkstall Abbey

Jervaulx Abbey

Egglestone Abbey

Easby Abbey

Byland Abbey

Whitby Abbey

Gisborough Priory

Roche Abbey

 

Bolton Abbey

 

St. Mary's Abbey

When my time in England is done, more than anything else, I'll miss gazing upon these glorious ruins.