Gare Saint Lazare at eight in the morning is bustling with locals and tourists. The flow of humanity in the Paris Metro system is an interesting, albeit chaotic tempo during morning rush hour as hordes of people weave through tunnels and stairways. Meanwhile, at street level, Parisians pedal their electric bikes to work, navigating through Hausmannian boulevards along with the cars and buses. It is no wonder that a lot of my friends are totally baffled as to why I frequently choose Paris as a place for rest and relaxation. (And by rest, I am not referring to the post-prandial stupor due to a massive consumption of croissants and macarons). But seriously, it is not that hard to find an oasis of silence and solitude even in a city as big and as popular as Paris.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in all the earth. Psalm 46:10
My friend and I hop on the M14 to Chatelet to escape the morning madness and to explore the little island where Paris was first established – the Ile de la Cite. This is the historic heart of this city and while the rebuilding of Basilique Notre Dame continues in the background, I lay my eyes once more on the soul of Paris – the Seine and its lovely bridges. There’s Pont Notre Dame and Pont Au Change from which to admire the Conciergerie – a grand structure that hosted Marie Antoinette during her final days. There’s Pont Louis Philippe, rather strangely decorated with potted palm trees, the unassuming iron bridge Pont Au Double connecting the cathedral to the left bank, and Pont d’Arcole, made famous by one of Napoleon’s victories, connecting Ile de la Cite to Hotel de Ville (city hall) on the right bank. I think my favorite bridge in this arrondissement is Pont Saint-Louis which connects Ile de la Cite with the charming Ile Saint-Louis, home of the decadent Berthillon ice cream.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalm 62:5
In many cities, people cross bridges to simply get from one place to another. Not in Paris though. Here, a bridge could be a destination in and of itself; a place to pause and take it all in. Every bridge is an unofficially designated viewing platform from which to admire a part of the city, to look over the Seine and everything that lines its banks. I believe what I love most about the bridges of Paris is that they give me perspective, in such a way that as I’m looking out, I’m also looking in – not in futile introspection but in meaningful reflection. This is the kind of rest that doesn’t lull me to sleep but a rest that awakens me to live more fully for the glory of God, as He fills me with awe and gratitude. There’s something about being transported out of the daily routine of work and life that allows a silence through which God speaks more audibly. He has much to say and even more love to give.
From my spiritual viewing platform, God reveals areas of restlessness in my heart, where the idols efficiency and productivity are still exalted by my human nature; areas where His sanctifying grace is very much needed on a daily basis. In His mercy, He stills my anxious thoughts about prayers for loved ones that are still unanswered, work that remains unfinished, changes that have yet to take place in me and those around me. But before I could lament “how long, Oh Lord…”, I am comforted by the truth that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 In loving kindness, He redirects my gaze toward Him and through the gospels, I see a Savior who was intentional yet never in a hurry. Jesus was fully present to those around Him – listening, mentoring, feeding, healing, teaching, serving, traveling, celebrating, sacrificing, and always loving. He built relationships, not checklists. He was moved with compassion and was not constrained by a calendar. Scripture tells us that there’s no one more purposeful than Christ who came solely to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Amazingly, there’s also no one who loved others better, with a love that is patient and kind.
In the stillness of the Seine and the silence of a neighborhood whose shops are still closed except for a boulangerie, my heart is drawn to worship Him right where I’m standing. No need to think of where to go next. Being all there is what matters for now. It is only when I am completely abiding in Him that I can love others unreservedly wherever life’s bridges take me. Time is never wasted when I linger, listen, even lament, and above all, revel in the beauty and mystery of the story that God is actively writing.
Oh Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Psalm 39:4
The day after I returned from Paris, I received news that a niece in the Philippines just passed. She had been dealing with a chronic illness but her passing was still very sudden and unexpected at only forty years old. But because she was a faithful follower of Christ, I know she has found heavenly rest in Jesus, free from all her physical ailments. There’s reason to rejoice but her passing did prompt me to consider the brevity of life. Just how many more bridges I have yet to cross, only the good Lord knows. And the fact that He knows is good enough for me.
The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Love Of God
Poet: Horatius Bonar
O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal, and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought,
Beyond all knowledge and all thought!
O heavenly love, how precious still!
In days of weariness and ill,
In nights of pain and helplessness,
To heal, to comfort, and to bless!
O wide-embracing, wondrous Love,
We read Thee in the sky above;
We read Thee in the earth below,
In seas that swell and streams that flow.
We read Thee best in Him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame,
Sent by the Father from on high,
Our life to live, our death to die.
O Love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way;
Eternal love, in thee we rest,
Forever safe, forever blest.
Lamp unto my feet 