People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long course of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.
-St. Augustine
Many times when I'm travelling and walking through airports or winding my way through pedestrian traffic on a busy city street, I find myself in semi-studious observation of the people around me. I don't know, maybe it's just part of human nature to do that.
Just this morning (Sept. 27) I was sitting and eating a bagel at a popular coffee and doughnut shop in the market area of downtown Ottawa. From my seat at a raised counter, I had an unobstructed view of the steady stream of passersby. Many were dressed in uniforms (I'm told there is a police convention here this weekend) and walked hurriedly by - I imagined they were pressed for time and had a much more important agenda than leisurely sipping on a hot beverage on a cool Sunday morning. Other pedestrians were more non-regimental in their gait - a few were huddled under lightly held umbrellas (the early morning mist was now almost an afterthought), while others weaved around their slower moving fellow travelers, seemingly bent on arriving on time at their self-appointed stop.
From my vantage point as well, I could a see a few people milling about a bus stop, haphazardly gazing off in the distance hoping to spot a tubular vehicle with their lucky number on it. Almost reluctantly, I finished my snack and decided to join the fray on the sidewalk - hence, almost automatically becoming the subject of someone else's introspective stare.
It's an interesting dynamic, isn't it? In any city or small town for that matter, there's so much surrounding material on which to focus our attention - from the towering skyscrapers in the urban milieu to the majestic and natural panoramas of a more rural setting. As I'm sure you'll agree, there's a lot to be said for drinking in, if you will, the beauty of the world around us. But, having said that, I'm often equally entranced by the proverbial "faces in the crowd".
The author Jon Kabat-Zinn once said: "Wherever you go, there you are." There's a lot of wisdom in those words, I believe. So often when I pass people on a busy street, many of them carry a countenance that is somewhat constrained. Their facial features, particularly emoted through their eyes, long to tell a story to a willing listener; a story of burdens they feel or disappointments they harbour. Sometimes, when I encounter people bearing expressions that hold no mystery - they're troubled - I immediately feel empathy for them and, invariably, I'll silently utter a prayer for divine deliverance or intervention in their lives.
Earlier today as well I attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Ottawa. When the Mass ended I stepped outside the Church and was immediately confronted by an alms seeker holding his hat in front of me. I fumbled for some change in my pocket and deposited a coin in his hat. I made a similar contribution to two other like-minded gentlemen near the steps of the Church. The third hat to receive a coin got the least amount, as I came up with only a quarter to satisfy its owner's request. But, like the other beggars before him, he was most grateful for my minor benevolence.
When I arrived at the airport a little later and retrieved the remaining few coins from the security tray inside the terminal, I realized something was missing. It was a coin that was given to me as a gift by a co-worker. The coin resembled a quarter but had no monetary value. Engraved on the coin is the biblical verse from John 3:16: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life."
I treasured this gift and carried it with me at all times. The quarter I thought I gave to the third person outside the Church had to have been my coveted coin. Maybe he was meant to receive it. I hope it's a blessing for him as well. On the topic of blessings, Dr. Ernest Holmes made some interesting remarks. "Blessing: Constructive thought directed toward anyone or condition. You bless a man when you recognize the divinity in him."
Leonard Quilty is a teacher with the Centre for Learning@Home in Okotoks, Alta. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
