Pilgrimages include travel and interaction with others.
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| Mark & Jill unite with the Houts in Paris |
We are in the midst of 24 hours of travel to our first destination
in Amman. The idea of flying for 10 hours is not everyone’s idea of fun.
Add 500 people and one can feel claustrophobic. Being seated next to a one-year-old, I confess I was a bit anxious. Of course, God works in
mysterious ways. I learned in my business life to be compassionate to
parents in airplanes. To the solo mom with her 1 year old, being crammed into the
middle of a row could not have been her idea of the ideal way to travel. I found myself
assisting with our hesitation.
Over my shoulder, a woman was talking
loudly, random thoughts with seemingly no one listening. The adults
around her started acting frustrated, though oddly, I never heard anyone ask
her to quiet down. It continued for hours. Back in my row, the little
child was great. Sleeping for a few hours, then eating, diaper change
and then back to sleep. I wonder if our first response to a stranger is
compassion or frustration?
When I think about the caravans of pilgrims over the centuries to
the temple, respective holy sites and historical markers … I wonder
whether folks kept their eyes down and muttered complaints about the
folks around them or, if perhaps, a warm heart and deep understanding of
sharing the journey dominated. We know Mary and Joseph were not welcomed before giving birth to Jesus. On the other hand, we know that when they
caravanned to the Temple when he was a boy, children would roam up and
down the line - everyone caring for each other's children.
We are about to board our second flight. A short five hours this
time. I wonder whether my heart will be open or closed as I take my
seat?
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