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WYD, Cologne, Part I: Something for Everyone
Posted by: jesse on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 08:07 AM
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Jodi and I got back from WYD on Sunday night. What can I say of WYD? Altogether beautiful,inspiring, sobering, difficult, hilarious, encouraging, discouraging, disturbing, wonderful, amazing...it was life. A ten hour flight from DFW to Frankfurt; got our bags, jumped on a train and made our way to Cologne. Pilgrims already everywhere. Singing, clapping, shouting. Made our way to the Savoy; freshened up, met the spiritandsong crew; made our way, wading through the growing numbers of WYD pilgrims, to the Vocations Cafe. Curtis Stephan led the afternoon of music with a LIFETEEN band from Germany...
...and a number of S&S artists. Saw folks from dioceses of Rockville Centre, NJ, Youngstown, OH, San Jose, CA. Music & witness regarding vocations. We meet people from all around the world. Inside and outside the crowds are growing. Cafe finished, we're off to dinner with Chris & Mary Padgett, Greg & Lisa Walton; Vince Nims, Fr. Roland, Chris Bruno, Megan Bruno, Bruce Bruno, and Diann Bruno; Curtis, Jodi and myself. Dinner was deeLISH, (THANK YOU DIANN!)as was the conversation. Chris, Vince, and I somehow make the finals of the International Thumb Wrestling Championships. I am all at once shocked and amazed that when the contest is over, I'm crowned Thumbmaster; to not be confused with Thigh-Master. There is a bit of controversy as officials remark that compared to the rest of the contestants, my thumb is as big as a manatee. I explain that I was just on a 10 hour flight from Texas, and that I was full of pretzels, peanuts, more pretzels, and unknown and untallied cans of Diet Coke. My thumbs are big? Dude, look at my feet! I'm Hobbit-Zilla! Although I am cleared of any wrong doing, the magic of the moment is diminished.
We make our way back to the SAVOY after dinner, me feeling pretty self conscious about my thumbs and feet. Crowds still growing every second. I think I accidentally stepped on a racoon or a large marmot. Jodi and I are pretty worn out by the flight so we say goodnight to everyone.
Wednesday morning comes way too fast. Breakfast...then out into the streets. HELLO COLOGNE. Wall to wall pilgrims from all over the world. Banners and flags...singing, cheering, clapping, shouting, praying, and ...just celebrating...it was a powerful moment of hope and solidary in some ways--we are all related; we are truly a human family. At the same moment I am sobered and saddened that this family; has been in the past and now in the present; at war. Economic war, as profitable yet immoral first world business practices devastate local economies of the two thirds developing world. Actual persons, children, women, men; they make the big bucks, $2.99 - $4.99 A DAY - not an hour, but a day; making clothing and shoes that you and I buy, buy, and buy without a care as to whether this shirt or pair of shoes were made with essentially with slave labor wages or sweat shop conditions. YIKES. Why do I go there?! This is WYD dude! Stay positive! Stay positive. And I do. And I can't. Then I see a flag from Syria. Are there flags from Iraq? Flags from Iran? How can this be? There are flags from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, the Philippines, Ghana, Senegal, Ireland, Scotland, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Italy, India, Pakistan, France, Germany and more. Wait, aren't the United States and Germany on the outs? Tell me again who our enemies are? Who are their enemies? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Lord have mercy, these strange thoughts invading my World Youth Day magical moment. I am disturbed. Duh. I'm Jesse. I feel like I'm in the movie "As Good As It Gets," and the world is saying, "Come on in Jesse, and try not to ruin everything by being you." But I can't be anyone else but me and these questions will not fade away...
It is a sea of flags waving, crowds singing, clapping, laughing, praying, marching, chanting, drumming, whistling, eating, drinking, eating again....some pilgrims are deeply devoted and connected to faith; some are questioning the whole church thing; some are happy to be on vacation away from home and work; some are thrilled to see the new pope; some are not religious at all but are just happy to have been invited by their religious friend to attend this strange thing called World Youth Day.
For some, this is a deep and profound moment of faith. For others, it's SPRING BREAK CATHOLIC STYLE. For some, it's a great public relations moment for the Church. For some it is a holy and sacred pilgrimage. For some it is a great opportunity to worship. For some, it is a great opportunity to drink massive quantities of beer. For some, more beer. For some, it is a time to shop. For some, it's a waste of time and precious resources. For some, it is a time to distribute condoms. For some, it is a time to protect life and decry the use of condoms. For some, it is a time to ask why no one speaks of the poverty and hunger in the world, indeed the greatest destroyer and enemy of life. For some, it is a time of prayer, for others, a time for protest. For some, a time to forget that the world is at war. For some, for some, for some...somebody stop me. In Cologne, everyone has a reason for being there. The Holy Spirit naturally showed up. What's that Holy Spirit? Don't miss the great gift and responsibility of this moment? I'll try not to, Holy Spirit. What's that? Oh, my thumbs. It's a long story. To be continued...
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