Sacred Spaces

Many exist and I hope to visit them all. Yesterday we had a hurried, yet delightful, tour of Vatican City, a chief pilgrimage site for Christians worldwide. Shannan and I have been fortunate to visit many sacred places for people of faith across numerous religions. In Rome I wore running shorts under my pants in hopes of a quick jog in the world’s smallest country, the home of the Pope and the keystone for the largest and oldest organized Christian denomination. After arriving and seeing far too many disrespectful tourists, I thought better of it and passed on runnig.

I found that touring the grounds and the museums of Vatican City gave a little credence to the vast conspiracy theories about religious artifacts hidden on the premises. The simple reason is that the Vatican’s collection of international sacred and pagan relics boggles the mind. Seriously, I know many people who have chosen not to visit Vatican City as a part of their travels because they are not members of the Catholic Church. You must put that aside. Come to this place of astounding political, historical, architectural and religious importance. Saint Peter’s Square alone is a testament to the human spirit and the belief in something greater than ourselves.

 

Run with respect.

 

Tom