A familiar text from Psalm 121 added to a photo taken recently from our balcony on the trip Pauline organised to Oberammergau that 10 of us shared together. Strangers coming together in friendship and fellowship, helping each other to have an amazing journey, one I shall treasure for the rest of my life.
There are so many things I am reflecting on about the trip but one of the overwhelming experiences was a complete beauty overdose. I have never been to Austria and Bavaria and the majesty of God in creation was in every glorious vista. I did indeed ‘lift my eyes to the mountains’, time and time again and God was right there in his majestic and awesome splendour.
| This photo was taken after taking a cable car up the mountain from Kitzbuhel some 2000 metres, the highest I have been on earth. The views were magnificent and kept changing as the sun dispersed the cloud. |  |
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And here, feeling on top of the world, we chatted for over 2 hours not because there wasn’t other things to see, but because we were taking in the sheer beauty of the environment and simply enjoying it together. To describe it as breathtaking would be an understatement. |
And yet in all this beauty, we were reminded in so many places over the week, not least of course in the climax of the experience at the Oberammergau Passion Play, of how cruel the world can be, then in the crucifixion of our dear Lord and today. But even in the pain of hearing the nails of torture and seeing Jesus lifted on the cross during the play, I felt an overwhelming sense of Christ’s love for me.
I pray that in whatever you do over summer, you too experience the wonderful love of God in Jesus.
Your friend, servant and colleague in Christ
Alan