Same God – Oxford Spring 2023

Main chapel at St. Aldates

Of all the places I’d ever wanted to go in the world, Oxford was number one. It was my dream to visit the city that had seen so much history and housed so many famous writers like C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. Not only that but England as a whole, the royal family, James Herriot, Jane Austen, etc. But when it came to actually studying abroad, I was nervous that I would become bored of it or that I would be disappointed. But as soon as we were in the coach from London Heathrow, I knew Oxford would live up to all the things I had heard about it. It was definitely different than I had expected (it’s definitely a city, not just a university), but that made it so much more fun to explore. Oxford is such a historical and academic place.

Almost every college I’ve visited is somehow connected to someone that I learned about in history or literature. There are bookstores on nearly every street. Everyone is reading something, and everyone wants to hear what you’re learning about. While I love this environment and book culture, it’s very different from where I’m from. Even though you’re in another English-speaking country, there’s still much to learn about British culture. I also had a hard time connecting with some of the students from Oxford because of my major. I’m an accounting major, and that’s just not something you go to university for in England, especially at Oxford. They’re mostly research-based degrees in the sciences and humanities; a lot of them didn’t really know what I was talking about. There are also so many ornate and gorgeous chapels embedded in the town and colleges. It’s such a unique experience to go into places where people have been worshiping for over five hundred years and what those churches and people have been through. That was also a very different environment to worship in. But this helped me realize more deeply an obvious truth: we worship the same God. 

The first Sunday at St. Aldates, I felt so comforted and loved in a community where we were singing the same songs that I sang at my church in Abilene. These people were excited to hear my story and how God had moved in my life. A few weeks into the semester, someone from church invited me and another student on study abroad to a bible study with them. I had never met these people and led such a different life, but we laughed and got to talk about the bible together. I can’t even really describe how comforting it was to realize that God had “followed” me over here. There is so much change and adventure that goes on when you’re studying abroad that it can be hard to feel grounded. But having my faith reminds me of the bigger picture and a God that surpasses cultures and languages. 

Christ Church Cathedral