Bigger and Better

Have you ever been in front of something that makes you feel so insignifcant? Do you ever come in contact with new ideas and lessons in history that make you realize you don´t know as much as you thought? I feel like this trip has been full of those moments and I am so grateful for the ways that the Father has challenged my faith as I have been faced with history and reality?

After a rough yet amazing weekend of traveling in Rome and Paris, I spent the day at the center yesterday. Classes were really interesting (I´m a big nerd these days.), but I was definitely in need of the long siesta that Italians are so fond of. I went exploring in the afternoon and felt like the lady off of ¨Under the Tuscan Sun¨ when I went to the market to buy fruit and then just walked around enjoying the sweetness of a Tuscan nectarine...I sound like a sappy novelist or something. I´m able to read a lot on our days in town and the nights are usually pretty slow after dinner. We sit out in the courtyard and talk or hang around and watch movies.

This morning we went to Assisi...you know the place that you always here about since it is where St. Francis is from. I never knew this man´s story or the impact that he had on the Christian church. After living a life of luxury and materialism, John (his real name before conversion) was thrown into prison where he came face to face with poverty. He had a dream before a crucifix and felt the Lord calling him to rebuild the church and give his life for the poor. Over a period of time, St. Francis gathered a group of followers numbering over 5,000 people (initially men) and encouraged them to live by three rules including chastity, obedience, and poverty. The Fransican monks, recognizable by their brown robes with a rope tied around the waist, spread all over Europe and even made there way to America when the Spanish came to explore and convert the Indians. The Basilica of St. Francis in Assissi was built as two churches, one for the pilgrims and one for the monks. This church was designed to hold frescoes from famous Sienese and Florentine artists named Martini and Giotto. There works were revolutionary and transformed the style of the arts into Italian gothic. This was the first time that artist displayed characters in profile, presented nature, and represented realistic features on the faces. Francis life legends are represented in psychological time on the walls. The church is amazing, but I just have to keep remembering that the savior St. Francis worked for, not the St. himself is the one worthy of our prayers and worship. Clare, Francis´ female friend before conversion, also followed this life of suurender. She cut her hair and gave to the church all that she had. We went to see her chapel where I found this quote written above her tomb ¨Totally love him who gave hiself totally for love of you.¨ After a three course lunch, I went with a small group and our professor up to a castle where we had an amazing view of the entire city. I had the opportunity to walk with Paolo (one of the amazing older professors here). While I held the umbrella to shelter us from the rain, Paolo unloaded all of his wisdom about art and the artists motivations.

Completely on accident, we stumbled into one of my favorite exhibits. A man named Guido Dettoni della Grazia has created this piece called the ¨Maria¨. It is 33 (signifying the life of Christ) of the same sculptures made from materials from all over the world. They are suspended in glass filled water tubes, showing the holiness of the mother Mary. The suspended figures are encased between a metal greek ¨Alpha¨and a sand ¨Omega¨. A woman gave us the history and showed us how the sculpture, when held in different manners, represented different phases of Mary´s life and even shows a dove symbolizing peace. If you have time to check it out, his website is www.nesher.org.

I am thankful for all of the conversations that the church visits lead us into. I am realizing that people need to see the real authentic life of a follower of Jesus before they will be led out of the bondages to alcohol and the things of this world. Please pray that I can be a light in a dark place...