My Trip to London: Reflections on Place, History and Culture

London is the metaphorical heart of England as it serves as the capital of the country. The city has been standing for nearly 2,000 years and has been renamed and reestablished many times. In modern times, it entertains an average of 30 million visitors each year, and is home to more than 70 billionaires. It’s been ranked as the sixth most expensive city to live in, but it attracts residents from all over the world, as over 300 languages are spoken there. I was privileged to visit this incredible and diverse metropolis during Spring Break 2019, and in this essay, I want to share my research and observations about the location, history and culture.

Geography

The city of London is located in the southeast corner of England. It spans 607 square miles and is home to 8.1 million people. One of its most notable physical features is the 15-mile-long River Thames, which cuts across southern England and passes through the city. Today it is utilized primarily for the transportation of goods such as coal and timber. Because the city was built on the flood plain of the river, it is generally flat.

The most popular man-made landmark in London is the Elizabeth Tower, more commonly known as the Big Ben. Big Ben is a 161-year-old, 16-story high clock tower located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. It was built in April 1858 after the Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire and it was decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and a clock. There are lots of interesting facts about the structure; for instance, there are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial, and there is a special light above the clock faces that is illuminated when parliament is in session. Landmarks, like Big Ben, are what give London it’s charming characteristics.

England, although a country in its own right, is considered part of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). It is governed as a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy within the United Kingdom. London is one of the nine regions of England.

History

Londinium, today called London, was created by the Romans in AD 50 under Emperor Claudius. In AD 125, the city was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in AD 200. The famous St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the year 604 and in 1078, the White Tower, part of the Tower of London was constructed. In 1444, St. Paul’s Cathedral was struck by lightning and caught fire, but the citizens were able to quench it out with vinegar. In 1538, Henry VIII dissolved the larger London monasteries like Charterhouse and Blackfriars. The first map of London was created by George Hoefnagel in 1550. In 1660, East India Company, which is still in existence today, was founded. The Great Plague struck London in 1665, and the next year in 1666, The Great Fire of London broke out, consuming 13,200 houses, St. Paul’s Cathedral, 87 churches, six chapels, the Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, Custom House, 52 livery company halls, three gates, and 4 stone bridges.

In 1675, work on St. Paul’s Cathedral began, and in 1710 it was completed. In 1773, the Stock Exchange was established. Burning coal for domestic and industrial use resulted in The Great Fog of 1813, in which a fog developed on December 27 and lasted for eight days. In 1858, London was divided into postal districts. In 1940, the city suffered bombing raids which destroyed churches, livery halls, and other historical buildings during World War II. In 1948, London hosted the 14th Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium, and in the 21st century in 2012, the city hosted the Olympics again.

Culture

One of the biggest aspects of London’s culture is its art. The term ‘art’ in this sense encompasses classical performance art, street performance art, art of various mediums like sculpture and painting, and even architecture. Everything about the city is elegant or edgy, and everything and every person possesses an artistic element.

London is home to three of the top ten museums and galleries in the world, and boasts 857 art galleries in total. In addition to the galleries, there are a total of 170 museums, including 11 national museums. Regarding performance art, the city hosts more than 17,000 performances per year across more than 300 venues including the O2 Arena, the world’s most popular music venue. According to GLA/ICM research, 84% of Londoners believe that the city’s cultural scene is crucial in ensuring a high quality of life, and these statistics prove the people true to their word.

Cultural Context Analysis

Craig Storti is a widely renowned, respected author and speaker. He has over thirty years of experience training businessmen and women, diplomats, civil servants, and foreign aid workers in understanding and working effectively with people from other cultures. He has advised Fortune 500 companies regarding international joint ventures and expat/repat issues, led cross-cultural workshops for international organizations and agencies on four continents, and assisted numerous corporations to better manage global teams.

I was able to read Craig Storti’s book, ‘Figuring Foreigners Out’ this spring, which allowed me to better identify and understand some of the differences and similarities I found between Londoners and Americans. In his work, Storti discusses what he calls the ‘four building blocks of culture’, which are the concept of self, personal versus societal responsibility, the concept of time, and the locus of control.

Concept of Self

The Concept of Self is the first building block Storti addresses. The idea behind this concept is that all cultures can be divided into two camps (although most cultures share characteristics of both). These two camps are: individualist and collectivist. An individualist culture is centered around self-satisfaction and self-protection: the survival of the one does not depend on another. A collectivist culture means that each person relies on the other, and when one fails, the whole group fails; when one succeeds, the whole group succeeds. In a collectivist culture, family is often the smallest unit.

The United States falls closer to the individualist camp; every person is working to achieve their goals, often with little regard for what they leave in their wake. Husbands and wives seek divorce to solve problems rather than working together for the sake of the family. Career-driven students put off marrying or starting a family in favor of pursuing success, and many lose track of important relationships while doing so. We tend to focus on the ‘me’ instead of the ‘we’.

In London, the culture is very similar to America. London is one of the biggest fashion hubs in the world, so many of the residents there work in the highly competitive, highly demanding fashion industry in some capacity. It’s also a high-profile city, entertaining celebrities and wealthy socialites. The people in London are either working to elevate themselves or seeking self-satisfaction. Residence spaces in London are generally small to accommodate the demand, thus making the city less than an ideal place to raise children or host extensive family gatherings. Because of these factors, and many more, London is an individualist society, like America.

Personal Vs Societal Responsibility

The second building block Storti introduces is the building block of personal versus societal responsibility. At first this sounds similar to individualism versus collectivism, but this topic is based on universalism versus particularism. A universalist society seeks to treat everyone fairly, making no allowances or exceptions for special instances. In the United States, we tend to avoid showing favoritism at home or in the workplace to provide equal opportunity for success and growth. However, in a particularistic society, each person is viewed like a separate case, and each problem with a unique solution.

The city of London falls, like the United States, closer to the universalist culture, but for different reasons. During my time there, I was witness to multiple peaceful demonstrations, installations, and ad campaigns pushing for equality in different capacities; the two main platforms being equal rights for African Americans and equal rights for women. Aside from my own perspectives on those two topics, I observed the people striving for a particular unity among themselves. In the context of Craig Storti’s work, people insisted that men – namely white men – should not be permitted specific privileges above other members of the community for any reason.

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Concept of Time

Storti’s third building block is the Concept of Time. Similar to his first two building blocks, the concept of time is based on the idea that a culture may fall into one of two camps: monochronic or polychronic. In a monochronic society, ‘time is of the essence’. People in a monochronic society are more likely to rely on schedules and formal appointments while people in a polychronic society tend to view time as a more relaxed concept, like there is an infinite amount of it so one may ‘put off for tomorrow what can be done today’.

The United States is, without doubt, a monochronic society. We rush to meetings, we rush to classes, we rush through mealtimes and cut quality time to make room for the next item on the agenda. Some families rush from one holiday gathering to another multiple times a year, hurrying to spend time with people without actually spending time with people. We have structure and we have a plan, and we operate with deadlines for higher productivity.

London is also a monochronic society. I could feel the rush in the air when we landed in the city, from the takeoffs and departures echoing around us at the Heathrow International Airport, to the announcements on the train, to the chatter of people on the street walking in double-time to get to their destination. In such a big city, efficiency is perfected and everything works like clockwork. If it didn’t, no one would arrive at their workplace on time, or at a movie, or at a store before it closes. Time is a luxury Londoners do not seem to have. Many residents do not own personal vehicles, so they rely on public transportation to take them from place to place. If London worked polychronously, everything would be out of sync.

Locus of Control

The final building block Storti addresses is locus of control. A cultures locus of control may be divided into two camps: internal and external. Individuals possessing the mindset of an internal locus of control believe they alone control their lives, while those with an external locus of control believe a higher being holds their fate or destiny.

Christianity is the largest religion in both the United States and in England, and those who believe in God believe that he is in control of their lives and their futures. However, God gives us the power of choice, wherein we also control our future. This is arguably Storti’s hardest building block to for Christians to comprehend because by his definition, we believe in both internal and external locus of control.

However, based on the definitions of the first three building blocks, and the camps that London falls into under each one, I would conclude that the city operates most closely under an internal locus of control. While Christians in London believe in God and his power to control the universe, they are actually the minority. More than half of the population identifies as nonreligious, which leaves the majority responsibility for their own lives.

Learning Reflection

Traveling to London, England was one of the most enriching experiences of my life, and although London is an English-speaking city with similar demographics to major cities in the United States, it was truly a cultural encounter. I did not expect to learn so much in such a short time. Throughout the duration of my time overseas, I noted many things I found different or fascinating compared to what I was familiar with in the U.S. Reflecting on some of these seemingly small contrasts has enabled me to truly understand what makes up a culture, and every detail is a crucial part of that culture’s unique tapestry.

When we arrived there, the first thing we noticed was the signage and terminology. We both speak English, but in the U.K., there are different words for even the most menial or commonplace things. Examples of these include ‘lifts’, which are what the English call elevators; ‘toilets’ or ‘wash closets’, which are referred to as ‘restrooms’ or ‘bathrooms’ in America; and ‘queues’, which Americans call ‘lines’. These differences may seem trivial in theory, but it takes time to adjust to the everyday things we take for granted at home.

While overseas, I also observed the great amount of cultural and religious diversity in such a relatively small area. We saw Americans, Europeans, Asians, Middle Easterners, Spanish, and so many other people groups living, working, and touring in the city. While America is considered ‘The Great Melting Pot’, I had never witnessed so many different people doing so many of the same things in the same place. It was surreal to experience the different languages, clothing, religions, and traditions. We saw Jewish men entering a synagogue on Saturday; we saw Hindu women with the traditional red mark on their forehead dressed in saris; and we saw the congregation at St. Paul’s Cathedral kneeling in reverence during prayer. In Midwest America, the diversity is not so apparent. It was incredible to be a part of the magnificent mosaic of London’s culture.

I learned so much during my time in England and it shifted my perception of the world and the people in it. Since coming back home, I often think of the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells I experienced in London and I wonder what life is like in other parts of the world. I realized how big it really is, and I want to know more about it.

Spiritual Reflection

While Christianity remains the biggest religion in London, more people in the city identify as nonreligious than identify as Christian. This means that these people are not only non-Christians, but they have no faith at all. The number of people living without hope is truly heartbreaking, and as Christians, it is our mission to bring light to the people who live in darkness. Often, we think first of third-world countries, indigenous people groups, or those in poverty, but rarely do we first consider the people who look like us, walk like us, and talk like us.

Admittedly, when I prepared to venture to London, I was not immediately thinking of the spiritual well-being of those in the city. I honestly didn’t expect it to feel very different from big cities in America. However, when we arrived, the atmosphere shifted. I could feel the brittle callousness in the air, the gardening of hearts toward God. One of the first notes I recorded regarded the number of people smoking cigarettes on the street. I later learned that it wasn’t just me – London is one of the biggest hubs in the world for tobacco manufacturing and distributing. Seeing these people, of all income statuses and diversities doing one common thing wearing one common expression, nearly wrecked me.

The people in the city were hungry for something, and they were filling it with nicotine, both a sedative and a stimulant that causes the release of dopamine in the brain. They were manufacturing their happiness and destroying their bodies, their wallets, and their relationships. I had never witnessed so many people desperate for a Savior in such a capacity. I realized these are the people who are never the first ones we consider when planning our mission trips and donations.

The spiritual environment in the city was draining; in a word, bleak. If I were to extend my stay there, it would require incredible intentionality to remain strong in my Christian faith. I would have to continually seek out strength and renewal, and earnestly search for people who would spiritually support me and keep me accountable to God. I realized seeing the people there that I would struggle to find the same support system I have known in America, and that was extremely troubling to me.

If I were to live in London, I think my ministry would take place most often on the streets as opposed from the church or from the pulpit. In Midwest Missouri, America, where I currently live, we minister through the security of the church, knowing we have a family standing behind us like a safety net. I do not believe ministry looks the same in England as it does in America. I know God would equip me with the tools and knowledge to be an extension of him to the lost people that had gripped my heart when I arrived there, but it would take a great deal of courage and faith to step into that mission field.

References

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