It is hard to put into words how amazing Prague was for us. We were pretty tired and pretty ready to be home by the time we bused into the capital of the Czech Republic. But one step into the Old Town Square and we were blown away by what I can only think to describe as… majesty. The Easter market that swirled through the square, the towering spires of the Church of Our Lady before Tyn (whatever that means), the astronomical clock, the reaching spires, the smiling faces, and the love of my life holding my hand. It truly was magical.
During our stay, we fell in love with Charles Bridge, enough so to wake up at 5 a.m. and make our way there for a sunrise so that we could experience the bridge without a crowd. Prague Castle was a joy as well, the largest medieval castle in Europe. The Jewish Quarter was inspiring (even Hitler couldn’t tear it down, wanting to leave it as a ruin to ‘an extinct race’).
The perfect recipe for me to enjoy a big city is: castle, river, awesome bridge, great views from height, and cheap, meaty foods. Prague had all this in spades. And even more.
I could dote on Prague forever. It was better than we were ready for. The city of a hundred spires churned joy in my stomach. It reminded me of the way I felt when I first met Jesus. The Aslan of Lewis’ Chronicles. The Bible stories at my church. The love of my parents. The friendship of my brother. Majesty.
Looking at all of those spires over the city, I felt a sense of earth reaching up to Heaven. I felt the pull in me to be a part of something greater than myself, greater than this world. And, in that stretch, I discover a great beauty in this world, in me.
A favorite story in Prague is the one about the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, known as the Velvet Revolution. It is thus known because there was no blood shed in the revolt. All that happened was people showing up and standing firm (literally) in opposition to the communist occupation. The mere force of their presence was so great that independence was granted under the weight of it.
That is majesty at its finest. We can get pretty caught up in the war metaphor in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the spiritual war is not one fought with violence and force. It is won, has already been won, by the unmovable Presence of goodness, love, and truth.
Prague was an inspiration for me. An inspiration to live well, to love well, to pursue change through peace, and to reach relentlessly toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
