This morning I did something not so smart. Of course if you've known me (P) any length of time, you know this is not a rare occurrence. However it ties in to this post well so bear with me.
L wanted to go with me on my walk today. Now, we used to have this really cool jogging stroller for such occasions. It had big, bicycle-ish wheels, was extremely light weight, rolling easily with minimal exertion, even had cup holders and was this really, really cool orange color. Does it sound like I liked that stroller? Do I sound bitter for having to sell it this week? Does this make me less of a man? Sorry, I digress... L wanted to go on my walk today and I didn't want to take our little, cutesy, umbrella stroller....sorry, more bitterness....so I put her up on my shoulders and away we went.
The first half mile was a breeze. Then the uphill portion of our route started and my knees began to whimper a little. I was quickly reminded why I began walking in the first place. Thirty-five pounds of additional weight, no matter how cute those pounds are, is no bueno. We kept walking and my knees began to bark. How did I ever make it through the day with all pounds those extra attached to my frame? Then my joints got good and warm, the breeze picked up and we started the mostly downhill portion of the circuit. As we chatted and laughed something interesting happened. I didn't notice L being on my shoulders anymore. And something she did, maybe a phrase or just a word, or sound brought the flash of a memory across my mind.
It was January 2011 and we were visiting Jerusalem. As we made plans for the weekend our friends living there suggested we stay away from the old city on Friday because this was the Muslim day of prayer and the streets would be "too dangerous" for an American family to be walking around. Though we were grateful for the advise we didn't listen. After all we'd been living in that culture for a couple years and actually spoke some of the language. Maybe it was not so smart but it turned out pretty good.
The place was mostly deserted. We walked up and down the ancient, stone paved streets. Taking in the beauty and history of what quickly became one of our favorite places on the planet. We arrived at the vegetable market at precisely the time Al Aqsa Mosque ended their prayers. Streams upon streams of congregants flooded the street. Men talking, women buying stores for the week, kids running everywhere, shop keepers proclaiming their deals. It was a frenzy of activity to say the least. There in the middle of it were two white folks and their brood of (at that time) four white children. I grabbed M, put her up on my shoulders, grasped A's hand and pushed our way, upstream, through the throng of non-white, non-English speaking humanity. Briefly I remembered our friends' warning and craned my neck around, looking up to see if M was afraid. She had a sort of semi-scared, semi-pouty look on her face. When questioned, it wasn't because of all the people. Over the heads of scores of people she had spotted a candy stand and was more concerned about us passing by its goodies without making a purchase than being abducted or ill treated by the people. So we got candy and ate amazing food and hung out with really great people all within shouting distance of the temple mount. All within a stone's throw of much of the strife plastered across the news these days.
We pray for the city and the country we love so much. For a peace-famined land to nourish itself, no, be sated completely on, the Prince of Peace. There may never be peace during our lifetime, at least not before the King returns, but there WILL be people on both sides of this conflict that come to know eternal peace before that day. He afterall, has borne the weight of this mess on His broad and ample and able shoulders.
Father, help us to see beyond culture and language and skin color and see people. People You love. People You sacrificed SO MUCH to have relationship with and spend eternity with. God, please use our family to be purveyors of peace. Help us to know You and make You known!
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