After any pilgrimage, one normally comes home suitably chastened, humbled and ready to take on new resolutions, even if they are short-lived, as man is the frailest of all creations. My recent visit to what Christians call the Holy Land, which covers three countries, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, was one such pilgrimage. Seeing and reliving in one’s mind, what happened 2,000 years ago and beyond was something one could only experience, as words failed to convey the full import of what was seen by the eye.
The visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where Jesus was crucified and entombed, the Way of the Cross where he carried the cross and walked, the places of His trial before Caiaphas and later at the palace of Pontius Pilate, were all emotion-charged moments for the believer.
Sentimental me, I was busy collecting stones and mud from important places connected to the life of Christ, driven by the thought that even if one grain of sand had touched the Lord’s feet, the purpose of my journey would have been fulfilled. After collecting enough natural and man-made mementos, I decided to take home a living relic, which was also a symbol of peace. An olive plant, a few feet high, was bought without realising the implications it could cause during travel. As we were like nomads, changing hotels every morning, I had to carry the plant along like a baby wherever we went.
Even as we saw the birthplace of Christ in Bethlehem, walked the Hosanna path in Jerusalem, wallowed in the Dead Sea en route to Egypt or climbed the Sinai mountain in Egypt, the olive plant was safely tucked in the luggage holds of the various buses we travelled in. This often invited pitiful looks from fellow travellers, for being encumbered by such puerile impediments during a demanding trip.
After conquering the final frontier of the flight to India, the plant now sits pretty in my garden, minus a few branches, thanks to airport handling, waiting to be permanently allotted its place for posterity.
Meanwhile, back from the trip of a lifetime, here I was suitably sobered and in a state of mind to shed a few appendages like egos and stuff and make fresh beginnings. The olive plant will hopefully stand in a pride of place in the garden, spreading the message of peace through its branches, at the same time producing fruit for the use of mankind. Let us also be useful to one another and spread peace wherever we are. With Christmas just around the corner, here’s wishing ‘Joy to the world and peace on earth’.
Elizabeth Koshy
Email: kitty.koshy@gmail.com