The Story of Paris

There is something about the telling of a story that captures our imagination.

It could be the anticipation of discovering the plot and then feeling the excitement of watching it unfold.  Or maybe the landscapes, culture, and time frame in which the story takes place allow us to enter these places just for a moment.  Yet, above all else, it seems the characters themselves arrest us the most.  Their personalities. Their virtues. Their vices.  Their achievements and their failures.  We love the characters because, deep down, we know that we are taking part in our own stories.  Therefore, we imagine ourselves within their roles because maybe we need to escape, validate, or help ourselves in our own.  Whatever the reasons, we know that our stories are our own.  They are personal, made only for us.

I just returned from visiting Paris for the second time.  Although it will take some time to unpack my experiences, I know this much fully: I have fallen deeper in love with the city upon my return.  It is a city of culture.  It is a city of deep history.  It is a city of faith.  It is a city where love is found in the air.  It is a city filled with millions of stories from past and present within the extraordinary story of the city itself.  And still, it awaits confidently to help write more stories in the future to whomever will visit next.

The cafés are filled with people engaging in dialogue…helping each other develop their stories.

The city’s buildings and landscapes house some of history’s greatest stories, which have helped shape the world as we know it.

The museums attempt to articulate the stories of the past, looking no further than the Louvre.  This architectural beauty is filled with artifacts, paintings, and sculptures of man’s attempt to express their own story or that of someone else’s.

 

The old churches are beautifully steeped in church history and the intersection of faith and culture.  They also house the “Greatest Story Ever Told[1]”: Jesus.

In the end, I know that Paris isn’t for everyone.

Paris ain’t much of a town.

-Babe Ruth

However, Paris has helped me uncover, develop, and enhance my story profoundly.  And although my experiences are too personal to share, I know that my time in Paris will impact the rest of my life.

So it is for this reason, I am grateful to this wonderful city of stories.

[1] Movie about the life of Jesus Christ, 1965