Musings on Reniasance Festival and the blessings of modern life

Last Saturday I danced with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society at the Renaissance Festival. As I was getting my costume together I had to think about all the things we take for granted today that didn’t exist 600 years ago. (When we’re there to dance we’re part of the “cast” so we’re supposed to be in a reasonable approximation of the costume of the day.) Modern things, if you need them, are kept out of sight in a bag or pouch.

Into the bag went my watch (and yet we’re supposed to perform precisely on time.:-) My cell phone, of course, set to silent and not be taken out except backstage; sunscreen, etcetera. That cell phone represents a number of successive improvements in communication over distance. In the 1300’s very few people could read or write a letter, or afford the materials to do so. Since then, at least in the developed world, we have gone through the advent of printing, the spread of literacy to nearly everyone, reliable postal service, the now old fashioned land line telephone, and email, to the cell phone which we can easily take with us to the fair, and yet with which we can easily call South Africa or Japan.

Food is expensive at the festival, so our coordinator of the day had kindly packed enough lunch to share with everyone. As we gathered round, shutting off the view of visitors, she drew out of her bag three large Tupperware containers. With a shrug she said, “What else are you going to pack it in that will seal it and keep it safe from spills?” How else indeed? Neither she nor I is old enough to remember wrapping a sandwich in anything other than a baggie or plastic wrap, or packing the potato salad for a picnic except in a plastic bowl.

The RenFest, being put on for the fun of the public, is about appearance not reality. Still, the bag I had last year was a little too clearly synthetic material, so at the state fair I looked for one made of linen or cotton. That was easy enough. More difficult was finding a color that could conceivably have been created by the dye makers of the time, and owned by a peasant. Purple was out. It could be made, but was so expensive only royalty wore it. According to Dr. Richard M. Podhajny, “Emperor Aurelian refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold!”

I could go on and on. Just looking into fasteners was intriguing. But I’m running out of space. (I am fully aware that not every advance is an unmitigated blessing. Even so, I’d rather live today than in any previous age.)

One reason acquiring new things brings only short term enjoyment, is that we so quickly become accustomed to them. We adjust our expectations readily and soon cease to notice things that were wonders when they first appeared. Thinking through what I could use and wear that would be appropriate to the Renaissance caused me to appreciate anew many of the technologies and materials we ordinarily take for granted. It also gave me occasion to give thanks to God for human ingenuity and the products and techniques it has created.

Since gratefulness is next to godliness, I encourage this spiritual exercise: Look around your house and give thanks to God those things, human products of god-given creativity, that ease and enrich your life.