Milan, Italy
‘Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime’.
~ Mark Twain
Travelling to Africa had become an almost yearly event and I was fully aware what a privilege it was. Not only was it exciting and eye-opening to see Africa, but I was also beginning to understand how culturally myopic I had become living in my own small, affluent and self-sufficient corner of the world ‘downunder’ in Australia.
It was Lord Byron who famously said, “I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an Islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us.”
This was a wonderful opportunity to travel and broaden my view of the world, so I decided to accept an invitation from the parents of Alessandra, the young Italian woman I had previously met in Jerusalem, and partake of their hospitality for a few days before proceeding on to Africa.
Up until that time most of my ventures outside of Australia had been to various African countries (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Kenya). But this trip to Italy was my first opportunity to see many of the European sights that I had grown up seeing in magazines and on TV. I had never really aspired to be a tourist, but Europe is, afterall, the heart of western civilisation. And to gain a balanced and objective look at the culture that had historically shaped my own philosophical worldview, going there and seeing it up-close was almost a necessity.
I was happy to meet Alessandra’s parents, Paulo and Dayna, at Milan airport and be escorted back to their home. I felt like I was being treated as a VIP as they began to express again their gratitude for the way that God had used me as his instrument in their daughter’s life and how that had been such an answer to their prayers. Alessandra herself was not at home — she had sensed to call to go off to South America to do some missionary work, but I was able to meet her younger sister and grandmother and spend some wonderful time with the family.
Paulo and Dayna were members of a charismatic catholic fellowship in Milan and I was surprised to find that such an ancient place of worship, the Basilica of Saint Eustorgio, would be the home of such a progressive movement within the Catholic church where the open use of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit: speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing — were given free expression. Apart from that, everything else about the Basilica of Saint Eustorgio was confrontingly formalistic for this Aussie very non-Catholic Aussie!
As I walked into the cathedral I was confronted by things that I had never seen before: glass cases displaying the centuries-old bones of past ‘saints’ lined each side of the cathedral; at the front a fully robed priest swung bowls of incense which filled the air with a smokey mist; a towering statue of Mary looked down over the congregation from the front, and in the back corner was the large stone tomb — purported to be the resting place of one of the wise men who had actually attended the birth of Christ. This place was also one of the places where the 13th Century Theologian, Thomas Aquinas had preached. Later I was led out the back to see the foundations of the original building that were purported to have been actually laid by Emperor Constantine himself.
Having seen this place with my own eyes, all of the church history that I had gleaned from reading books, and from my time at Bible College, was beginning to come alive and informing my developing convictions about all that was both right and all that is problematic with Western Christianity. Not only was I standing in the very place where so many of our pre-Reformation western traditions had begun, but I felt that God Himself had arranged this guided tour with my education in mind. Not only were many of my protestant beliefs being confirmed in all that I was witnessing but, surprisingly, some of my protestant prejudices were also being challenged in a way that I did not expect.
Having seen this place with my own eyes, all of the church history that I had gleaned from reading books, and from my time at Bible College, was beginning to come alive and informing my developing convictions about all that was both right and all that is problematic with Western Christianity. Not only was I standing in the very place where so many of our pre-reformation western traditions had begun, but I felt that God Himself had arranged this guided tour with my education in mind. Not only were many of my protestant beliefs being confirmed in all that I was witnessing but, surprisingly, many of my protestant prejudices were also being challenged in a way that I did not expect. Up until that time, all that I had encountered of Australian catholicism was a rigid dogmatism that seemed to actually oppose the precious and sacred gospel truths that had so informed and transformed my life. Up until that time I had been tempted, like so many other protestants, to approach catholics with cautious suspicion and to view their faith as suspect. But here were sincere catholic believers, fully immersed in this ancient historical tradition, opening their hearts to me and actually inviting me to speak in this place — to testify about what the Lord Jesus has done in my life and how he had used me to answer their prayers.
As I stood there awaiting my opportunity to speak, I thought back on how I, on many occasions, had repeatedly admonished my various friends and ministry associates about the failures and shortcomings of religious tradition and formalism. I thought about what is written in the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verse one, about the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ who have gone before us, having each fought, in their own time, the various tests of faith that accompany serving the living God, and how those verses admonish us to ‘run with perseverance the race set before us’. As I pondered the meaning of those verses an amusing thought sprung to mind: I imagined looking up and seeing the faces of all my friends and ministry associates back in Australia, as if they were among the great cloud of witnesses looking down at me, and imagined their surprise to see me here, about to speak in this most ancient, most formalistic, most catholic of places! I could only shake my head in amazement at how the Lord had brought me to this place, and how wonderful it is to walk with the living God.
Speaking through an interpreter (I don’t speak Italian) my first thought was to explain that I was not, in fact, a catholic, whilst chancing a glance in the direction of the priest to see if this admission might be met with any disapproving looks.
As I stood up to speak it was with a measure of apprehension. Whilst Paulo and Dayna had been exemplary in their expression of generous, charitable, Christian hospitality, how would these other people receive me? Speaking through an interpreter (I don’t speak Italian) my first thought was to explain that I was not, in fact, a catholic, whilst chancing a glance in the direction of the priest to see if this admission might be met with any disapproving looks. I cautiously proceeded to explain that even though I did not understand many of the catholic traditions, nor found it necessary to pray to Mary, I did actually love the Lord Jesus very much. I then proceeded to tell my own story of how I had come to be a believer, and of the glorious things that the Lord had done in my life. I then went on to tell the congregation what they had been so eagerly waiting to hear: How I met Alessandra in Jerusalem, how we had prayed together, and the events that had led to her safe homecoming. After I finished speaking many people came forward to greet me, kiss me (yes, kiss me! This was Italy, afterall! ) and to express their appreciation for all that I had shared.
What more can be said? God moves in mysterious ways. My remaining time in Italy was spent with the Corrias family, and walking around and taking in the sights of the beautiful city of Milan: the sculptures, the architecture, the galleries and museums, not to mention the contemporary fashion and design which makes Milan the fashion capital of the world. I found my interest and passion for design being rekindled as I saw that thoughtful and intentional design touches on every aspect of life in this part of the world. But once again, as I have found in all of my journeys abroad, it is the people themselves that make places so compelling. And it is God’s love for the people that causes him still to send his envoys on missions all around the world.
Are you searching for God? And are you confused by all the different churches? The most important thing is to seek a real and authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. I suggest that you start your journey of discovery by reading the gospel of John in the New Testament and begin to talk honestly with God about everything in your life, telling Him that you want to know and follow the truth. It is very easy to get confused about all the different churches and what they believe, but just ask God to guide you, keep your eyes on Jesus and seek to spend time in the company of people who really love and know Him. God bless you as you seek Him!
