Oxford Moments

Friday evening:

After dining in College, I stepped out into the stillness of Radcliffe Square. It was getting late, but the sky was still saphire blue, not dark yet. The spire of St. Mary's was lit in gold, and the shadowy bulk of the Radcliffe Camera blocked the stars of the northern sky. Across the square, under a lantern on the wall of All Souls College, stood a solitary violist. A clear Baroque melody echoed across the cobblestones. I stood there against the wall of Brasenose, savouring that moment, until the evening chill got the better of me. I walked home along the bustling High Street, past the Queen's College with its beautifully illumined portico, the dark hulking outline of the Exam Schools, almost to Magdalen, its Great Tower shining white against the inky sky.

Saturday afternoon:

After a long read in the Christ Church Meadow, I lingered in the Magdalen cloisters as the shadows lengthened and the sinking sun turned the towers golden. The choir was singing evensong in chapel -- a glorious, triumphant hymn. Thought of Sheldon Vanauken's words: "Despite the modern laboratories, Oxford is still 'breathing the last enchantments of the middle ages.'"

Sunday evening:

After the 6:30, Joe Martin invited a group of friends to his house for dinner. We sat round the table and talked for hours about evangelism and culture. An earnest conversation, amongst friends who took one another seriously, yet laced with wit and laughter.

This is Oxford as I will remember it...