Traveler
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Chapter One
WELCOME
The sounds of the city are deafening. No matter how hard you press your hands over your ears you can't seem to block out the noise. The pressure is killing you. There has to be more to life than this. In the distance is a narrow pathway. Your eyes are drawn to it. Your heart is pulled in a way that you have never known before. A calming voice beckons you to follow...
THE GATE
A small gate must be passed through before you can enter the pathway. The paint is peeling and spots of rust can be seen on the hinges. A magnificent Celtic cross has been designed directly in the center. It is crafted out of iron and is a shade of bluish green that is hard to describe. You run your fingers across it and are mesmerized. The weight of the world seems to slide off your tired shoulders. You take one last glance at where you have come from, then turn and push. The gate swings easily.
FIRST STEPS
You place your foot down with a sense of fear and excitement. This makes no sense. It defies all logic. Why would you depart from the day-to-day routine of your gray life to enter a new world? Whose voice asked you to enter? Can it be trusted? What will friends and family think? Maybe you are dreaming.
THE MURAL
On the side of the pathway you see a hand painted mural that stretches for many hundreds of feet. The artwork is amazing. Even though it has been created on a flat surface, it appears three-dimensional. It depicts the history of the world. You move quickly as you trace time and space through the hands of the Master Craftsman who created this wall of information, then suddenly stop and become transfixed on what appears to be one of the most significant paintings. It is a baby in a rough-hewn cradle in a dirty stable. The word HOPE is etched on the headboard.