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This is part of a blog series commemorating the 30th anniversary of a life-changing backpacking tour of Europe that I experienced with my friend Joey. In 1979, the British punk rock band, The Clash, released a song called "London Calling..." London calling to the faraway towns Now war is declared, and battle come down London calling to the underworld Come outta the cupboard, ya boys and girls The Clash (1979) For Joey and me on our European adventure, London was indeed calling...  Joey in front of Buckingham Palace in London, England. He is holding our trusty guidebook, Let's Go Europe 1994.  London, England, is an essential stop for everyone on a trip to the UK. Yet, as amazing as this city is with all of its history, famous sights, and dazzling architecture, what I remember most about my first visit was what I didn’t see. When Joey and I arrived in this sprawling metropolis, the date was Saturday, October 8th, 1994. With the aid of my Let’s Go budget travel guidebook, we managed to find a very low-budget dorm in a youth hostel in a very rough neighbourhood and far from the city centre. These sorts of places are filled with an array of odd people–and the cheaper the rate, the stranger the folks there... The next day, we found a church to attend–Westminster Baptist–with a Welsh preacher. After the service, we set out to explore the city, from Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, 221B Baker Street, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Piccadilly. We saw a lot that first day.  Piccadily Square at night. A City With Two TalesWhen we returned to our sketchy youth hostel after that first day of exploring, we settled into the common room and played a few hands of cards. The lounge had a low ceiling, graffitied walls, stained couches, and tired, worn-out tables and chairs. Only a handful of the eclectic youth hostel guests were scattered around the room–reading, writing, or munching on snacks. A television was mounted in one corner, broadcasting the evening news. Someone near the TV turned up the volume, and Joey and I were drawn away from our card game by the news. It turned out that there had been mass protests and rioting in London throughout the day. With all the things we saw that day, somehow, we missed that! What we saw on TV was intense and chaotic. It looked as though the entire city of London was ablaze with rioting. The images on the screen depicted complete bedlam all across the city. This total breakdown of law and order occurred on the very same day Joey and I were trekking around the city. The date was October 9th, 1994. Ministry of Truth: 1994
Here is what we saw that day as we wandered around town:  Here is what we saw on TV that night: 
 When I see rioting and chaos on the news today, I have learned to pause and think. Is this the whole story? Does this four-second clip capture everything that unfolded that day? Are there only ten people involved instead of the “ten thousand” that is hinted at? What is outside the framed shot? What larger context or events are the media outlets leaving out? The term "fake news" hints at this, but it can be misleading; the events aren't necessarily fake, but the way the story is told can be exaggerated, manipulated, or entirely untrue.
We are quick to judge. We are prone to “confirmation bias.” We often see what we already believe we will see. That day in London taught me a powerful lesson in media literacy. I will never forget what I didn’t see that day in London.
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This is part of a blog series commemorating the 30th anniversary of a life-changing backpacking tour of Europe that I experienced with my friend Joey.  Jeremy (the author) at Nelson's Monument in Edinburgh. Getting Around⸺Old School Style
North to Scotland
 Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh is known as “Auld Reekie”—which, despite being a somewhat odorous place, doesn’t mean that the city is extra stinky. The nickname is Scottish for “Old Smokey”—referring to the brownish smoke from the city’s reliance on coal heating in the 1950s. The smoke is long gone, but the name has stuck. Yet, many of the Craigleith sandstone structures are darkened by layers of sooty, black grime accumulated from those decades of coal-burning fireplaces in the mid-twentieth century. The blackened walls, spires, and monuments give the city an eery and macabre feeling. The frequent cloudy grey skies and the inescapable damp chill in the air reinforce this gothic aesthetic. From the “main drag”—called the “Royal Mile”—there are narrow passageways and alleys that wind mysteriously downward between buildings. These shadowy, narrow alleys—called “closes”—further add to the creepy aura of the city.  “Anchor Close” Photo by Adam Bulley  It’s as though you are walking through the pages of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic horror novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Though the story is set in West London, Stevenson was from Edinburgh. I suspect he drew inspiration from this city's ominous blackened stone structures and narrow, shadowy alleys. It is widely believed that Stevenson did take inspiration from an Edinburgh resident named Deacon Brodie, a respected cabinet maker and locksmith who was also a burglar by night. The duplicitous carpenter was ultimately caught and hanged on a gibbet—one that he most likely built himself as a carpenter.
My friend Joey was also raised in the church with me, and he was uncertain as to his own faith in God. Yet, early on in our trip, Joey was actively seeking the Lord in ways he hadn’t done before—he was regularly reading the Bible he had with him and he often encouraged us to find churches for worship on Sundays. Providentially, as I sat in a pub staring bitterly into my pint of “bitter,” my heart and mind were drawn to the Lord.
The Apostle Peter says, “Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 CSB). So, I quietly cast my cares on the Lord. I prayed to Him for help. Moments later, a young Welshman approached me and Joey and asked if we had a place to stay. He was a graduate student at one of the universities in Edinburgh. He and his roommates noticed us (with our massive rucksacks and my yellow raincoat) and wanted to know if we had a place to stay. The Lord answers prayers. He explained that one of their roommates had recently moved out, so they had a spare room. He said we were welcome to come and crash at their place for the night. Without much hesitation, we took him up on the offer. Thinking back on it now, I probably shouldn’t have been so keen to stay at a stranger’s home... Yet, both Joey and I felt this man’s offer was an answer to prayer—which, indeed, it was. When the three roomates led us back to their apartment, the rain had stopped. Weaving through the dark, Edinburgh alleyways and streets, we finally arrived at their cozy little pad. Both the Welshman (whose name I can't recall) and Joey were talented guitarists, so we spent the evening playing and listening to music, singing, laughing, and enjoying good conversation. The Lord abundantly answers prayers. The next day, after bidding farewell to our new friends, God provided us with accommodations at another youth hostel, so we were able to stay the weekend in Edinburgh. We also attended Morningside Baptist Church on Sunday and were tremendously blessed to worship God with His people. My European journey was far from over, and my spiritual journey wasn’t over either. This weekend in Edinburgh, however, proved to be an encouraging spiritual milestone along the way of my spiritual pilgrimage. I was powerfully reminded that “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). |
Jeremy W. JohnstonChristian, husband, father, teacher, writer. Archives
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