Yesterday, Katarina assured me that there was really no way to get too lost in the streets of Prague. This morning, I cheerfully proved her wrong in a matter of just a few hours. After rising late (odd, considering the insane amount of sleep I got) I visited the hotel breakfast buffet before heading out for my day of exploration. I deliberately set out with no real objective, which is undoubtedly how I found myself wandering the streets quite aimlessly before happening upon the Church of Our Lady Victorious, which houses the famous Infant Jesus of Prague. Though I am sure you are all quite familiar with the Infant Jesus of Prague and the stories surrounding the statue, I will recap: The small statue was brought from Spain in 1628 and is believed to have protected Prague from plagues and wars. Some believe that it bestows miracles, which - naturally - draws a steady stream of tourists from all over the world. When the pope visited Prague, I was once told, he went first to see the Infant Jesus, before arriving anywhere else in the city. Knowing all this, what choice did I have but to go inside the church and see for myself?
Generally speaking, I like churches - particularly old churches. I find them peaceful and comforting, and often feel compelled to sit quietly in them for long stretches. This church was no different...except for the steady, annoying chatter of tourists. From my seat in a pew close to the Infant Jesus, I watched with - in turn - horror and amazement at the behavior of the visitors. Despite the prominent signs requesting silence and forbidding cameras, the air was heavy with chatter and the periodic flashes of photos being snapped. This was disturbing enough in itself, and I could barely contain my amazement as I noticed that the trend was - bizarrely - to take one's photo with the statue in the background. After positioning, affecting a sober face (Italians), and reviewing the photo, the photo's subject would generally throw in a cursory prayer at the railing surrounding the Infant Jesus. Transfixed, I watched this happen, over and over, for nearly an hour. As I sat there, observing, I was struck with the realization that these people had traveled from all over the world (many of them - it appeared - from Italy and Spain) only to stand in front of the statue with a barrier erected between themselves and the very object that they had come to see. Unaware of the irony, they stared purposefully into the tiny screens in front of them, zooming the focus in and out to get the "best shot" of the object of their quest.
What would it take, I wondered, saddened by the spectacle, to ground these people? How difficult would it be to reconnect people - without gadgets and distancing mediums - with the essence of life itself? A miracle?
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