And so, with a final look across the rooftops of the Old City, and sip of Taybeh (www.taybehbeer.com) with new friends, I pack up from Ecce Homo, Jerusalem, and get ready for the early morning ‘newspaper taxi’ to take me to Nazareth, and to the friends and project partners in the north.
A couple of these new friends have been taking pilgrimage seriously, walking from Paris to Jerusalem with a letter of authority from their Bishop in hand, and dropping in on pilgrim houses and monastries all along the route. At each place they have collected a ‘stamp’ of proof in a sort of pilgrim passport they carry with them. Every stamp a memory too I guess. Arriving in Israel a week ago, they walked down from Haifa, and have been in Ecce Homo, Via Dolorosa for the last few days making it to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre today…..the focus of their long walk. All very Canterbury Tales….but without the rather odd companions that Chaucer wrote about!
Wow, what commitment, what focus, and what a journey – all proved by these stamps which they proudly showed to me. It made me think what ‘stamps’ I had collected along my journey of faith, and what commitment it takes to keep the focus.
Anyway – cheers…time for bed!
Ian, it really does sound that although you are having a busy time you are also enjoying some God time in various places and with various people. Just share your love and life with all you meet, may God grant you ‘divine appointments’ during your time in His land.
Every blessing and I continue to pray for you.
Alan ( really appreciate your friendship – although at the moment from a distance rather than our day to day at Cliff)
Sharing life and love, and appreciating your prayer and friendship.
loved the comparison to canterbury tales
and stopped in my tracks at the comment
It made me think what ‘stamps’ I had collected along my journey of faith, and what commitment it takes to keep the focus.
wondering if my 9 months at Cliff was one of those stamps, and how I use it now
I think an important stamp – certainly for some of us companions you had on the journey.