«But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ » (Luke 10:29).
“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering,” said Saint Augustine upon a certain occasion.
I had traveled to wonder at the height of Machu Picchu. That day I noticed that my body was reluctant to climb the path that led to the ruins, because of the heat and the lack of oxygen at that altitude.
I had also realized the incredible strength and persistence of those people who had rightfully become a powerful empire.
Yes, both the mind and the body had been taxed, but the result was a wonderful thing (both in their case and in mine).
For some reason, as I descended from the mountain, I thought of that quote of Saint Augustine’ s, and I tried not to limit my admiration to the view.
When I got back to the little village at the foot of the mountain, Aguas Calientes, that evening I sat down, tired and hungry, to eat my dinner at one of the vegetarian eateries that I had found. And in spite of all I had learned that day about my body and about the ancient Incas, the memory that was etched deepest in my memory was that of the little girl who waited on me. While she served me some soup containing quinoa, oats, and vegetables, we chatted together. Her parents were cooks there, and like many young children, she helped in the family business.
There were many toddlers playing around us in the midst of leftover food and the dust brought in by thousands of foreign travelers.
When I saw how great her needs were and how difficult her life was, my admiration for the mountain turned into admiration for her resilient smile and for the brightness in her eyes. She taught me a great lesson.
But how many times do I pass by someone in need, and not even notice? How often do I discount the cost of someone’s smile? How many things is our body capable of today? Let’s make sure that we take time to admire nature, to go hiking and to take care of our bodies, to achieve great accomplishments through exercise and hard work, but above all, let us be sensitive to the needs of the people around us. That is where our true strength is put to the test. In our fellow human beings, we will find the greatest wonder of all; each of us is also a temple where the Holy Spirit wants to dwell.
