paris – epilogue

Something that struck us while we were in Paris was the poor. It’s something that we hadn’t noticed as much in London, although since returning we have been more aware.

In Paris, it seemed people weren’t afraid to ask you for money. In particular, there seemed to be more gypsies (technically, the Romani people), who are quite pushy in their attempts. We also saw people rummaging through public rubbish bins looking for food to eat. All while we're indulging in French cuisine.

It was an important reminder for us. In a lot of ways, our little adventure can be self-indulgent. Yes, we want to challenge our faith and grow in our knowledge of God. But there is also the aspect of traveling and seeing different places. Perhaps it was God’s clever way of putting our trip in perspective and reminding us of how much He has blessed us in terms of worldly wealth. But worldly wealth, namely holding onto it for ourselves, has very little bearing on eternity.

A heart for the poor is something that we felt when we were still in Toronto. In retrospect, it is something that we had lost since arriving in London. After a humble reminder in Paris, it’s something we’re keen to regain.