The Classroom of History

“History is a classroom, not a prison.”

- Zach Terry

In our family, we value travel as a spice of life that adds beauty, understanding, and adventure. Visiting a place means not only appreciating its beauty through a lens, but also experiencing the vastness of a mountain range, the smells of a city, and most especially, the culture and personality of a people. Zach and I recently had the opportunity to lead a historical reformation tour of much of the United Kingdom. We began in London, England, and flew home from Edinburgh, Scotland, stopping along the way at various towns, cathedrals, castles, and museums.

This was our first trip to the UK, and I am so grateful to be married someone who prepares for experiences like this by studying key people in history from that place, and encouraging me to do the same! The people and historical moments I delved into prior to the trip were the ones that came to life most clearly upon seeing them in person- Thomas Becket and the 12th century Church in England, and the life and work of C.S. Lewis. Today, I’ll be sharing about the life and impact of Thomas Becket.

Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury who was violently murdered on December 29, 1170. His last words were,

“For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.”

Becket had been appointed Archbishop by his close friend, King Henry II, in an attempt to control the Church. However, once in office, something changed in Becket, and his loyalty changed over from his friend, to his God and God’s church. King Henry’s frustration with Becket was overheard by a group of his knights, and they took it upon themselves to rid their King of his adversary by killing him.

The Church condemned the murder and Becket was venerated as a martyr and enshrined inside Canterbury Cathedral, which became an important pilgrimage location for over 300 years, and there were many reports of miracles there. Then, in 1540, King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of Becket’s shrine and the obliteration of his name because he had been a “traitor” who defied royal authority. The king’s men dismantled and looted the shrine, even burning the bones of Thomas Becket. His name was officially banned and the pilgrimage to his shrine was outlawed! Today, there is only a lit candle and small sign marking the location of Becket’s former shrine, but his legacy continues to inspire. 

As we were observing the place where Becket had served and had been killed, learning about his impact that continued for hundreds of years after his murder…my mind drew parallels with the recent tragic murder of Charlie Kirk.

Already, Kirk’s death has brought about the largest evangelical event I remember in my lifetime- his own memorial service, where 90,000 attended and some 20 million watched around the world, and the gospel was declared clearly and passionately. What’s more, there is a boldness and clarity in the aftermath among the Christian community that was so needed, but that had been lacking. We hear of young people and families attending church for the first time, reaching out to Christian friends and on social media with questions about God, heaven, and the Christian life. We even heard about revival sweeping across England among young people and huge memorial services there honoring Charlie Kirk! Only God can know, but in 300 years, wouldn’t it be beautiful if Charlie Kirk’s boldness, gospel witness, and courage are still inspiring young people around the world.

Canterbury Cathedral served as a beautiful and effective classroom for exploring the history of Thomas Becket. Next time, I’ll delve into the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis — stay tuned!