Trip Trickle 3

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

Writing on the wall can be spooky.

There is a story in the Old Testament (Daniel 5) about a heavenly warning that arrives at King Belshazzar’s party in the form of cryptic writing on the wall. Daniel is brought in to interpret the writing. It basically sets out this message to the irreverent Belshazzar: you’re screwed.

Writing on the wall can seem like a message of warning and ruin, especially when you’ve been an idiot and God wants to get your attention. But, then there is another kind of writing on the wall: graffiti. It’s the kind that starts here on earth, rather than in the heavens, and seems more like a cry directed upward than a curse coming down.

On my trip to Europe I spied on all sorts of graffiti.


An old building. Berlin.


My name in Berlin.


Beauty and dandelions in Berlin.


Can you feel it? Berlin.


The Berlin Wall. East Side Gallery.


More of the Berlin Wall. East Side Gallery.


The illusive Banksy. London.


Banksy. This one was painted just a month ago. London.

I think this earth-bound writing on the wall sprays out a message that reads more like this:

Hey. We’re here.
Hey. Things aren’t as they should be.
Hey. I’m feeling a bit broken.
Hey. I’m hoping for a better world.
Hey.

This writing on the wall has been heard; there are traces of this everywhere. It is sprayed again and again. It has not fallen on blind eyes.

PS This is my 100th blog post! Yikes.