While traveling in Spain last month, Dawn and I followed a crowd (9 times out of 10 a good idea in a foreign country) and luckily caught the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace of Madrid. Imagine our surprise when several dozen Spanish cavalry came riding down the street. Some carried swords, others hoisted pikes and still more rode in playing trumpets. All were serious, like this gentleman. We watched the elaborate ceremony for an hour – the best free show I’ve stumbled upon in a long time!
Category: Photos (Page 11 of 19)
“The amount of light should be just right, not too much, not too little, since having too much or too little light can both cause blindness.”
Quote by Antoni Gaudi, architect of la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. To say it simply, this cathedral is the most stunning building I’ve ever seen. My picture does not do it justice. If you keep a bucket list, a visit here should go on it.
This wall was part of the southern boundary of a ghetto, built by the Nazis during WWII, to cut off the Jewish population from the rest of the city of Warsaw. Approximately 450,000 Jews were housed behind these walls. Almost all eventually died, either of starvation, or in an uprising brutally suppressed by the Nazis, or in the nearby concentration camps.
Standing and gazing at the wall, it’s hard to imagine the depth of depravity that could lead to such events. These bricks stand as an emblem of the evil found in the heart of man. They stand as a reminder of our need to be ever vigilant in our concern for freedom. These bricks urge us to remember our God-given call to seek peace and the good of all people.
I recently visited Warsaw and snapped this picture of the Palace of Culture and Science. It’s the tallest building in Poland and one of the largest buildings in Europe. It was built for the people of Poland by Joseph Stalin, the former autocratic leader of the USSR.
Stalin “gave” this building, named in his honor, to the people of Poland after World War II, while the USSR controlled Poland. The building holds a controversial place in Polish history today, a symbol of a communist era that many would like to forget. But it’s hard to forget the tallest building in your country.
You can’t help but be astonished by the hubris of a dictator, who chooses to give people living in hovels in a devastated, war-torn city, a skyscraper named in his honor. The grandiosity of man’s pride and callousness is on display in Warsaw.
Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints
Stories to encourage you with the leadership experiences of overlooked men and women of the Bible. Their lives will inform your story, and move you to step out and lead.
GO: Following Jesus to the Ends of the Earth
This book contains reflections on the Lordship of Christ, the Great Commission, and a life of adventure and eternal significance. Read this book and you won't be able to sit still!