By Wendy Choy-Chan

Having prepared for nearly two years for our Holy Land trip, my heart was full of excitement and expectation as we set foot upon the soil of Israel.  And the first destination being the stations of the cross – via Dolorosa, inside the old city of Jerusalem – how profound and transforming this walk would be!

I had walked the stations of the cross in other monasteries before, stopping at each station to ponder the heart of Jesus as he took his last steps towards his death, completing His mission on earth, fulfilling the purpose of God.  So imagine how great it was for me to walk the actual path that Jesus took two thousand years ago.  But then…

We were hustled through narrow streets, with merchants on both sides flashing postcards and souvenirs at our faces, and pedestrians and cars trying to share the already crowded roadway.  And then, we were also cautioned to clutch onto our bags and our kids, so that the first wouldn’t become property to the pick-pocketers, and the latter get lost in the crowd.

How disappointing!  Don’t people know that this is a sacred path?  It wasn’t just any person, but our Lord Jesus who walked through it.  And it wasn’t just any occasion, but the day of His crucifixion .  C’mon, people, show some respect!  Give some space for me to take it all in, to meditate on it.  And then…

It dawned on me that this was possibly precisely the scene on that day two thousand years ago.  Some might have been flashing their merchandise to bystanders, only to stop for a few seconds to look at the criminal walking by.  Some might have been stepping aside to let him pass, clutching their bags and children, not wanting to come close to him and his blood and sweat.

Normal activity was not stopped for one to ponder upon this moment.  God did not stop time when His beloved son went to the cross, yet history was interrupted like no other time before.

Indeed, God did not stop time, but he opened a window into eternity through that moment in history.  If only the people, especially those  busy with their activities, had eyes to see that their lives were forever changed, for the war waged against them was finally won — by the criminal walking by.

And so it is with all our days — the clock ticks, the world turns.  Yet only if we pause within our hearts to see through the many windows that God has opened for us will we have a taste of eternity and see the work of His mighty hands.  How great thou art, how great thou love!

Wendy Choy-Chan came to North America from Hong Kong when she was 15.  She is now a full-time mom and part-time student at Fuller Northwest studying for herMA in Theology.  She lives with her husband and two daughters in Seattle, WA.