End of Roads
As Chrystal already wrote we hiked along the Via Francigena to Rome, this is now already a few days back, but let me tell you how this road ended.
The brightest shining gem of the walk was the loving and open hospitality of the people we met along the way. Once, while searching in Viterbo for some shelter, we got dissapointed several times and the sun was setting. I already lost hope and Chrystal took over leading the way, asking for directions 'till we came to an old remote corner of the city. A bright face greeted us and helped us find the way to the church there, since we couldn't find shelter there either, she offered us a place in a music school that she founded. Naomi, we found out was her name, has lived in Viterbo for 20 years now after leaving the United States and traveling long to find home. It was one of the encounters that blessed our souls as we just shared a bit life with her for 2 days and heard her story.
Leaving Viterbo we got exited to visit Rome, it would be the first time for both of us. The last days of walking went over quickly, one morning we found ourselves standing on a hill overseeing the everlasting city and the majestic St. Peters dome ahead of us. We rested for a while and I wondered what this city would mean to us and what we had to learn here. We were to found out soon and it was hell. Chrystal started to get worse cramps as we got to the pilgrim house. Once arrived there, she started to bleed, stomach got even worse and we didn't know what to do. We called Chrystals midwife and asked for advice, she told us if the blood would get read we should be prepared to loose our baby. In the evening the blood got red. From there we entered into the saddest night of our young life. Lost in a echoing convent, deep at night Chrystals whimpering could be heard, but everyone was asleep soundly. I was confused, not knowing what to do or what to say so I kept silent. Then tears came as Chrystal lost her little one, and they were not to cease for days. Inexperienced with these situations we decided to take 3 days to mourn our baby and reflect on the fact that we were going to be parents and then not anymore. We would have called Penelope (Odysseus' wife in the Odyssey of Homer), a name associated with great moral stature, beauty and height, but also a prophecy of great anguish, yes so great that one might wish to die or never be born. Maybe God heard her wish from the future and brought the seed of life back into his stream of love.
Now we look back on this city with mixed feelings, the experience is still a mystery to us like a locked book that we own but cannot read. Time will tell... After the 3 days we went to look at some things in Rome but their beauty was tinted by the digital cameras that were present by the thousands and saw more than their owners. The lust for exploring vanished after our sad night and did not come back till we left the city 10 days later. Thus Rome was the end of many roads: a place we imagined romantically, a place we hoped to find joy and rest and the end of the Via Francigena.
June 16th, 2009 - 19:09
Luke and Chrystal, my heart is heavy for you, and I pray that in this difficult time our God will give you strength and comfort, and that He may shower you with His peace.