Juxtaposition:
the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect
When I asked the squad to describe Paris in a word, a theme began to arise. Diversity, Different, Mismatched, Misplaced, Complex, Contrast, Juxtaposition. In many ways, Paris itself still remains a mystery. Even after walking among her streets for weeks, untold secrets still quietly pass by every day.
Paris is a city of life. The streets bustle with noise each day as stories are written and people go about their various pursuits. Each aspect of Paris only seems to strengthen or highlight everything around it. Beautiful cobblestone streets give way to trash littering the sidewalks. Stone masonry walls gracefully line the streets to be interrupted by modern steel infrastructure. The aroma of fresh baked baguettes floats gently across the breeze met by the hot putrid air rising from the subway vents. Flowers rise from dirty streets. The exhaust of diesel and smoke fills the air with smog where streets are lined with bicycles and electric vehicles. Clean and modern. Rugged and beaten. Sunshine and Rain. Chaos and Calm.
The people also carry a similar contrasting affect. Local Parisians run to and fro surrounded by many diverse cultures. People from all over the world walk the streets. The romantic French language can be heard mixed with Spanish, English, and Arabic. Dark faces to Light faces. Tall to short. Wealthy to Homeless. Among the streets of Paris a vast ocean of people move in waves between the buildings.
I’ve seen Hope in many faces. In just as many I’ve seen desperation—a lack of hope. I’ve seen Light pierce into Darkness. Joy where solemn faces once sat. A quiet melancholy broken by laughter. Fear sits over the hearts of many. Yet still with boldness and no fear have many trials been faced. The Refugee seeks to find a home. The French seek to keep a home. A western world filled with people from the east. Markets bring the smells of many cultures. The faces bring the smiles of many lands.
In all of her majesty Paris has shown me again and again one thing. The people themselves carry the identity of this city. And it is the People that God so desperately loves. He is working here to win her heart. To see redemption brought to the city where stone monuments and cathedrals stand next to steel towers and modern lights. In a city that holds such strong roots of history and ancient story, I didn’t expect to find such a lack of identity.
Paris still stands tall in the night.
Where Darkness meets head on with Light.
There still rest great shadows here.
Yet God’s deliverance, His Kingdom is near.
From dirty streets Hope begins to rise above.
Faith shall rise and Joy shall reign in the City of Love.
I pray with all my heart that God’s work continues, strengthens, and grows in this city. I see the roots growing of so many new ministries and opportunities. Not just to reach Paris, but to stretch out and touch the world through her gates.
With Faith, Hope, and Love
Nathan
