Pilgrims are everywhere

Pilgrims are everywhere!

For the past 2 weeks while walking through the city streets, my path is confronted by swarms of foreign speaking youth, proudly waving their country’s flags, singing, dancing and cheering through the streets.

Isn’t it a little too early just yet for the world cup? Since when does Melbourne even hold international soccer events let alone have frenzied young fans going berserk through the streets?

As you can see, I am not one for keeping up with current affairs and what’s going on in the immediate world at hand. I have enough activities and things going on in my daily life to create my own reality of the world I view myself in.

It wasn’t until I tuned on the news that it clicked, these kids were here for World Youth Day 2008 and the big papal honcho of the Christian world is here in person to bless the masses in person, through TV and believe it or not, through SMS for the more tech savvy amongst us plebs.

Quoted from 'The Age':

On Friday morning, the gaggles of tech savvy pilgrims were excited to receive the latest SMS from Pope Benedict XVI.
The pontiff has sent daily messages to World Youth Day pilgrims all this week, complete with modern abbreviations - referring to himself as "BXVI".
Friday morning's message read: "The spirit impels us 4ward 2wards others; the fire of his love makes us missionaries of Gods charity. See u tomorrow nite - BXVI."

I bet even the holy spirit couldn’t have that far a reach back in Babylonian days.

As I went came back from lunch yesterday, I was confounded by the sight of a group of teens surrounding a street light. Posters depicting Christian themes were pasted up on the pole and everyone was merrily holding hands, dancing and clapping around the pole with such fervour that it would put the Mormons to shame.

Meanwhile, up the street, a group of Hari Krishnas are making their daily noon walk through the centre of the city, beating their drums and singing about (God) Krishna. The paths of these 2 groups would inevitably cross and I secretly prayed for an ensuing fist fight between the 2 groups.

I’ve got my bets on the Hari Krishnas, they look like they’ll fight dirty.