Good Ol' Montana

A hike to watch the sunrise atop Mount Aeneas -
good things are coming!

Believe

It's so weird to see this now, after getting to serve in Syrian refugee camps where UNICEF had a presence. These signs and all they signify stand in such contrast to the affluent surroundings of the Schipol Airport in the Netherlands.

I wonder, habibti (beloved), will I ever come back to spend more time with children like you? Will I ever get to go back to the Middle East? I hope so!

Be of Good Courage

On the flight back from France I watched "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". I loved it.

Film-wise, I found much to admire. First of all, who knew Ben Stiller had it in him to create a movie with such pathos or subtlety? And he had Jose Gonzalez do part of the soundtrack - I have respect for anyone with an appreciation for Jose. Just saying.

The beginning is white, gray, and blue (blue symbolizes loyalty, stability, serenity, and depression). The main character Walter lives in a world of straight edges at right angles where everything is sterile and careful. As the movie progresses, the action color of red is introduced - from the airplane, car, Papa John's cup (a catalyst), sweater, to the mountain gear he dons as he climbs the mountain for his guru encounter with the photographer. By the time he's in Iceland, your eyes can't drink in all of the color saturation and breathtaking scenery. You are carried along in the character development by all sorts of subtle details.

There are some zany moments, as evidenced by Walter's fantastical daydreams. However, they reveal how different our inner and outer selves can be. Our minds dream big, disregarding plausibility but we live cautiously. It shouldn't be like that. We should have balance between dreams and action.

You could say the movie is about many things. I'd say it is about an ordinary, nice guy who once had great dreams for his life. Along the way he met with misfortune, tragedy, what have you, and lost momentum, trying to find a way in this life. This is his journey of learning how to stop hiding and to actually live. All of his experiences are a reflection of the metamorphosis inside.

It's not that he changes into a new man. He becomes who he was supposed to be in the first place.

He doesn't use his liberation to run off, get a Porsche, and date a girl half his age. He keeps his head on his shoulders, cares for his family, and uses his new courage to go for the girl he liked all along.

I think we all have this same potential. We long for so many things! There is a way for us to transform some of our heart longings into real life. For Walter, things didn't turn out as he'd planned - they turned out far richer. If we do things for the right reasons, I'm convinced we'll find the same is true for us.

Let's have the courage to become our best selves.



p.s. I loved all of the cultural "encounters" Walter had. I teared up when he said he was alone at 18,000ft and when he played soccer with his new friends - I could relate. I giggled when he did the charades style sign language with the Nepalis.Venturing out shows how alone we can feel, how included we are, and how we can't take ourselves too seriously.

Limbo. Again.

Go through customs, stamp the passport, prove you're you.
Buckle the seat belt, accept the peanuts, look out the window.
Think, or don't think. Let your thoughts sort themselves out.
Consider what was and wonder about what is to come.

Traveling is beautiful.

“Paris is always a good idea.” – Sabrina

What would you do with a 48 hour layover in Paris? 

Plenty. 

I’m going to show you a lot of pictures because I am obsessed with France and don’t know how to cope.

1) Admirer la belle vue de la cité (Admire the city from above)
Paris is named the City of Light due to the Enlightenment but there is something about the light here. Je te jure (I swear to you), the sun reserves special, golden, rose hued rays for this gorgeous city. 

2) Evoquer les souvenirs (Reminisce)

This is St. Sulpice church. Once upon a time, I played a little ditty on its pipe organ that is, besides being centuries old, considered one of the best and possibly the most beautiful organ ever. The organist, Daniel Roth, was amused and likely a good deal chagrined by my efforts. In my defense, he asked if anyone wanted to play it - I was the only one brazen enough to go for it. You might liken it to playing hot cross buns on Jimi Hendrix's last remaining guitar. 

3) Apercevoir les petits détails (See the little details)
The French understand the importance of celebrating beauty in the everyday.

4) Manger bien (Eat well)
Go to my old neighborhood and have a really good lunch. The waiters insisted I move tables because they were concerned about me getting rained on. Sweet. hearts.

5) Se Balader (Go for a stroll)
Take the train to visit a neighboring town, where of course, you go for a walk.

6 ) Ecouter (Listen)
Take in a concert in some architectural gem, like the Chartres Cathedral. 

7) Apprendre quelque chose (Learn something)
Admire some art, even if it is Baroque/Rococo/over the top.

8) Crier Allez les Bleus! (Yell Go Blues!)
Watch the World Cup in the village square and cheer for Les Bleus! This is about the only time the French get unabashedly patriotic. 

9) Apprecier l'art - encore une fois (Appreciate art - again)
A light show on the exterior of the Chartres Cathedral. 

10) Passer du bon temps (Have a good time)
Meet up with some friends. 

Good Timing

I flew out of Israel just before they started canceling flights due to the newest Israel-Gaza conflict. The deaths of those four Israelis and one Arab seems to have snowballed into something more horrid, if that can be imagined.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

"The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the most Holy sites in the Christian world, the site of the burial place of Jesus. The 12thC structure is located on the traditional site of Golgotha, the crucifixion and burial site of Jesus."* I didn't know this when I went, so you are more informed than I was. With a name like "Sepulchre", it seems kind of evident, but I still didn't get it. 

That was a very mysterious experience. Mysterious because I knew next to nothing about this church,  nor why it is sacred. I scrounged up some art history and Biblical knowledge to piece together some things but was frankly, really clueless. 

What was this little underground room for? No clue.
It was very imposing and it felt as though the space was closing in on me.
There were bellows in the corner, spewing heat and smoke.  

 It was also mysterious because its atmosphere just was. I felt very disoriented as I meandered up and down the maze-like staircases into dim lit spaces filled with incense.

I later found out this is known as the stone
where Jesus's body was prepared for burial.

As people prostrated themselves, wept, and venerated the icons I wondered what it was all about. Did they do so because being in this sanctified place drew out the devotion already existing in their hearts or because they sought to earn approbation by their behavior? I'm ok with the former but the latter sickens me. The whole experience left me feeling out of sorts and a more than a little disturbed. I think what got to me the most was the feeling that people were putting so much stock in the physical objects they believed were connected to Christ. I wanted to grab people and say, "He can be more real in you than he ever was in these objects. Heck, we aren't even sure these were items he touched, was prepared for burial on, or was crucified on!" One could argue that this only proves how much of a Protestant I am, having little regard for icons and the like. 

I made the mistake of crossing my legs in front of this.
The woman dressed completely in black from headscarf
to toe furiously seized my leg and uncrossed it.
She did this twice before I realized she found my posture indecent.
I later learned this is the where the tomb of Christ is supposed to be.

Someday I’d like to return with a better understanding and appreciation.

He was immensely fascinating. I'd like to be his friend.

*source: http://biblewalks.com/Sites/Sepulcher.htmlbiblewalks.com