A Moscow Evening May 8, 2010

A Moscow Evening May 8, 2010

Wishing You Joy, Peace and Love . . . Now and Always!

Dear One –

I hope this finds you fully enjoying the beauty of creation and the love of your family and friends.

I know that yesterday I said that would be the last of my travel journal entries from Moscow, but I was wrong! Last night some of the students and I went out for dinner and then went up to Christ the Savior Cathedral in beautiful downtown Moscow, not far from the Kremlin. We walked back and forth over the river on two different bridges and there were many people strolling along the banks of the river, in the beautiful gardens around the Cathedral. Some of the people we saw were young couples out on dates -- the young women had flowers that had been given to them by their attentive young men.

The air was fresh and the sun was taking a long time to set, as it does so far north this time of year. What a beautiful evening it was. The smell of the flowers from beds of tulips and pansies, the smell of the apple and cherry blossoms and the other blossoming trees wafted up and washed over us on beautiful light breezes. In addition, the slowly changing light from the lovely sunset coloring a few decorative clouds high in the western sky and good company made it all very memorable.

As I’m pretty sure I have told you before, there is a famous and beautiful Russian folk song called “Podmosckovniye Vechera” (Evenings in Moscow) – and the beauty of the city on spring, summer and fall evenings is lauded in it. Zhanna and I kept singing it softly or humming it off and on . . . was good music to stroll along with and appropriate since it WAS a gorgeous Moscow evening.

Although I haven’t written captions for them, I already put them on my Facebook page, and even if you haven’t joined Facebook, you can see the photos by going to this web page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23174&id=100000104723008&l=034bb9a14c

Artur took the photos on his mobile phone camera, playing our paprazzio once more! Highlighted in them are a few different things I should probably explain before you see them:

1. I am standing by some kind of amazing motorcycle-like vehicle that has the word “Monster” painted on it in Russian. Maybe I have mentioned it before. It is usually parked right outside the gate of the Seminary Building, though it wasn’t there this morning. Some people we saw standing around it with car repair tools seemed to be working on it, and maybe it has been used to go away for the holiday weekend.

Tomorrow is the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II for the people of the former Soviet Union. They are pulling out all the stops to celebrate and you can see stands being put up so people can listen to concerts and watch the big parade. This year the U.S, Great Britain and France have even been invited to participate in the parade. That is unprecedented.

2. We ate at a restaurant called “Moo-Moo” so that’s why there are the photos of us with the cow. Don’t ask me to try to explain WHY there is a restaurant called “Moo-Moo,” just accept it for what it is, and go and eat there if you get a chance. The food is great!

3. There are many photos of the Christ the Savior Cathedral, and I keep calling it that because of its size. However, the word “Khram” in its Russia title (Khram Khristos Spacitel’” really means “temple” and this goes along with the Orthodox characterization that Moscow became the “Third Rome” after the falls of both Rome in the 5th century A.D., and of Constantinople in the 15th century. My new friend Zhanna who is studying here (as opposed to my friend Zhanna who works here in the Bishop’s office, and who I met three years ago when I was here) and I had a long discussion about the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church uses the word for “temple” to designate certain churches, although in western Christianity “temple” is not used for any churches.

It was an interesting discussion since a great deal of my time here I have spent reading and writing about some articles in books concerning the similarities and differences between the Orthodox Tradition and the Wesleyan tradition. (The use of both capital “T” “Tradition” and lower case “t” tradition is deliberate. For many in the Orthodox hierarchy, there is an insistence that only in Orthodoxy does the true Church exist. Obviously this is often debated in ecumenical dialogs.

All rightie, then . . . I know that’s enough theology for me right now! Probably for you, too, no doubt!

I am not sure what else in the photos needs an explanation, but when I put the captions up, you can ask me if there is anything that isn’t clear, O.K.?

Oh, I almost forgot. When I write at one time about the statue of a tsar on the grounds of the Temple of Christ the Savior (might as well translate its name properly), I misidentified the tsar. It is a not a statue of Nichols II, but of his great grandfather, Alexander II who built the original Temple of Christ the Savior of which the current one is an exact replica. So now that we have THAT straight . . . when you see the photo of the statue of the tsar, you will know who it really is.

It’s 2:00 PM and Zhanna and I will call for a cab to take me to the airport to fly to Vladivostok around 4:00 PM. I’m all packed and ready to go, but loath to leave in many ways, as much as I am looking forward to seeing Vladivostok and being able to visit my friend there.

Everyone here has been so sweet and kind, all of them telling me they hope I come back. I hope I do, too, God willing.

Happy Mother’s Day if that applies to you . . . and if not I hope you celebrate or remember your Mom and have a blessed day one way or another.

Sadly, my Mom fell and broke some ribs the other day, so please prayer for her not to be in pain and for her to recover quickly. Skype is great and I have been able to talk to my parents, my kids and some friends on it. Even though I don’t have a web cam, my son does, and when I talk with hi I have been able to see him and his family. Last night when I was talking to him he asked if I will be able to talk to them on Skype tomorrow for Mother’s Day. Whether or not I am able to, I know that both my kids are thinking of me and praying for me, and I trust I will be able to make up for not being around them when I do get to see them all.

God is so good and so faithful!

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you and yours.
Blessings and Love -- Kathy


The Heavens Declare God’s Glory
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4a


Kathleen Ware Harris  © 2012
kwharris777@gmail.com