Fort William
Today was my third day in Fort William and I was beginning to get antsy. The town is not very big and I had been up and down the tourist stretch more times than I could count. So I stopped in at a cafe and asked the local barista what I should do.
He asked if I'd seen the old fort yet.
When I said no he told me, walk till it looks like you've hit the edge of town then it's a few steps further.
So that's what I did. It really wasn't very far at all, but just outside of where all the tourist busses stop it seemed like a whole different world. Old stone walls, valiantly rebuilt. Steps leading down to the waters edge and a harbor with the hint of what this town once was, and on some levels still is, a fishing village.
It felt like a completely different place.
For starters I was mostly alone, except for a couple locals out for a picnic.
And the glitz and tourist enhancements just weren't there.
No souvenirs being sold.
Just the heart of a town once built around the fort designed to keep it safe. And the fisherfolk who came to work there.
It was the best part of my visit to Fort William.
How often do we stop just a few steps short? When do we fail to look past what is obvious and easy in order to see what is just beyond us?
When I think of the act of becoming disciples (myself and others) it feels like a parable that Jesus would have told. One that no one really understood. The surface meaning all that was grasped.
Today was a reminder to keep looking, to keep seeking. To go deeper.
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