Today is the first day of rain and also my first day of rest.  We have been walking 5-7 miles daily- even with trains and buses and metro.  So many sights and smells and sounds.

Today I am staying at the monastery to try and absorb some of what we have expereinced so far.  Yesterday I went to a church that had a picture of an angry nun stomping on Martin Luther.   There was also a painting on the ceiling of people in heaven on a cloud with the Protestants falling through a hole and landing in hell.  Clearly the reformation provoked some strong emotions on the part of the religious and the artistic!

In St. Peter's I was moved by the art and the grandeur and the amazing creations.  It was awesome.  But as I watched the people coming in there were basically two kinds.  Most were tourists.  They walked in, took pictures and walked out.  There was no sense that they were experiencing anything religious or sacred.  Then there were the religious folks.  But they came in and kissed the toe of St. Peter's sculpture.  They knelt and prayed before the bodies of dead popes.  The walls were covered with saints and popes.  The bacilica seemed to worship the papacy rather than God.

Clearly I belong with Martin Luther taking the wrath of the angry nun.  I cannot get my head around the notion that some people are closer to God than others or that I should pray to other humans.  It is just not in my theology.  I also have trouble with the notion that objects can carry special powers or blessings- like the toe of St. Peter.  But people carry bags full of objects to be blessed by the Pope.  You pay more for a rosary blessed by the Pope than one not blessed.  Why?

One thing this trip is doing is reminding me of why I am a protestant.  I don't say that to be critical of the Roman Catholics in any way, just to say it is not my cup of tea.  It is always helpful to be reminded of who we are in our core and why.

Ciao!

(p.s. with no spell check and a strange keyboard I beg your indulgence with my typing and spelling)