A Walk Downtown Seattle

Neiva and I spent an afternoon in Seattle this week. As we walked downtown we could see the presence of the city all over again in our lives. Different people, young and old; faces that don't have names, thoughts that are not expressed, lyrics that are not sung. An old man was playing an old guitar, singing an old folk song, a coin dropped into his old hat. In front of us, a drunk woman walked back into an Irish pub, barely making it through the door. My heart ached. Such a sad thing.

This is just part of the city life on the streets. I was again reliving the time we lived in Pasadena. We would take our friends and relatives to see Hollywood at their request. After driving back and forth on Sunset and Hollywood Blvd., they would ask, "When are we getting to Hollywood?" I'd answer, "We're here already!" They could not believe it. "But, is this Hollywood?" Again, people walking the streets, looking for some meaning in their lives, trying to overcome their own demons. Same thing in many big cities...

Talk about megacities around the world! Same thing in Rio or São Paulo, same thing in Moscow or London. People walking the streets, looking for meaning, looking for a better life... Megacities, crowds passing through, nomads in search of meaning.

A thought came to me in Seattle: How can we reach those who are walking the streets with the love of God? It is very simple: by showing them that we are also nomads, but on our way to the Promised City, the City of God.

Hasta la vista!