Montreal

Montreal cityscape

I really liked Montreal; I was fascinated by the different French/ Canadian/ American influences, they all seemed to contribute to the intriguing ambiance; sort of funky and confident but without trying too hard!

On our first day we decided to climb Mount Royal, Montreal's highest spot (234m), to take a look at the view which was well worth the effort.

As we wandered around aimlessly at the top of the hill we unwittingly found ourselves beneath this tremendous cross, towering some 15 metres above our heads...As I stared up at this crude, industrial construction, which looked so out of context, it got me thinking about the place of the Christian faith in today's society. In a similar way to this cross, Christianity seems to be so irrelevant for most people today and the teachings incongruous with people's own values.

The deadly looking spikes around the bottom of the cross made me think about how inaccessibile Christianity is for many people around me; there are so many religious and cultural barriers for them to overcome before they can reach the cross for themselves. However, it has to be said that the notion of God dying on a cross, has never been an easy concept for people to embrace.

Throughout the centuries people have dismissed this idea as irrational, mystical, nonsense; insulting to philosphers and intellectuals alike. I suppose this is what makes faith so wonder-full - the belief that this "God-death" opens up the way for "eternal-life", is nearly impossible to grasp. In fact, I would argue, that it is impossible to grasp without divine intervention;

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

As I looked up at this cumbersome, awkward looking cross on the hill, I realised that the fact I have any faith in it at all, is a miricle in itself.