01-06-2018, 11:45 AM
Jensen barely squeezed out of the subway car. A big folded sign smacked him in the shoulder. He grunted, but the man holding it hurried away. The platform was packed with people trading places on and off the train. "Are you going to the Patheos rally?" The man stuck in people alongside him asked.
"Yes,"
he replied quietly.
"Me too." The stranger added, but they were quickly separated before Jensen could follow.
He made it to the surface, only to find a cold rain had begun to fall. It gathered into puddles wherever the sidewalk dipped and soaked the lower hem of his pants. It didn't seem like a spring day, but he would never get used to Moscow's weather patterns.
It was a long wait in a line full of wet, cold people. He waited in line behind Jewish men, identified by the kippah pinned to their hair. A glance over his shoulder, only moments after he got in line, and a dozen others had already joined. Among them was a well-dressed young man in a black and white suit Jensen would bet was a mormon. A gentleman of color was dressed in the long tunic of a Hindu, his hair also wrapped modestly. In strange contrast, a couple stood behind him that at first glance seemed completely ordinary, but the longer Jensen looked, the woman's boho skirt and crystal necklace and the man's loose jacket and headband made Jensen wonder if they were pagan.
The line moved more swiftly than he thought it would, and soon he was at the front. He paid the small fee, registered his name and went through the pat-down and scanner without incident.
He shook the water from his coat and hair. The stadium was covered, thankfully.
It seemed the steps leading to the field were endless. A brief scan found no available seats.
A familiar voice came up beside him, "I see you made it."
Jensen recognized the man from the subway platform. He had neatly styled hair and was cleanly-shaven. His wool coat was as soaked as Jensen's.
"I was almost swept away in the flood out there, but yes, I made it."
He smiled slightly.
They both studied the field below. Stages were set up. Wide platforms were set up with a number of empty chairs. A wide sign illuminated the word Patheos behind it. Jensen wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but the time slot for the rally indicated the speakers were on a break.
"What brings you to the rally?" The gentleman inquired.
Jensen wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Patheos was an online community of every major religion in the world. Their rally at a Moscow sports' stadium was to talk about the meaning of all the changes in the world of recent, and the impact it had upon the spiritual world.
He took a deep, thoughtful breath. "Guidance? Answers? Perspective? Maybe it's none of those things."
He shrugged.
"I know what you mean." He agreed. It seemed Jensen wasn't the only lost soul out there. The stadium was filled with thousands of them. He offered a handshake, "Sigvard Viggo," he introduced himself and the name matched his northern european accent.
"Jensen James,"
he replied and reluctantly shook hands.
Sigvard nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Pastor."
Jensen sighed. He should have provided a fake name after all. "A pleasure to meet you too."
Edited by Jensen James, Jan 6 2018, 11:46 AM.
"Yes,"
he replied quietly.
"Me too." The stranger added, but they were quickly separated before Jensen could follow.
He made it to the surface, only to find a cold rain had begun to fall. It gathered into puddles wherever the sidewalk dipped and soaked the lower hem of his pants. It didn't seem like a spring day, but he would never get used to Moscow's weather patterns.
It was a long wait in a line full of wet, cold people. He waited in line behind Jewish men, identified by the kippah pinned to their hair. A glance over his shoulder, only moments after he got in line, and a dozen others had already joined. Among them was a well-dressed young man in a black and white suit Jensen would bet was a mormon. A gentleman of color was dressed in the long tunic of a Hindu, his hair also wrapped modestly. In strange contrast, a couple stood behind him that at first glance seemed completely ordinary, but the longer Jensen looked, the woman's boho skirt and crystal necklace and the man's loose jacket and headband made Jensen wonder if they were pagan.
The line moved more swiftly than he thought it would, and soon he was at the front. He paid the small fee, registered his name and went through the pat-down and scanner without incident.
He shook the water from his coat and hair. The stadium was covered, thankfully.
It seemed the steps leading to the field were endless. A brief scan found no available seats.
A familiar voice came up beside him, "I see you made it."
Jensen recognized the man from the subway platform. He had neatly styled hair and was cleanly-shaven. His wool coat was as soaked as Jensen's.
"I was almost swept away in the flood out there, but yes, I made it."
He smiled slightly.
They both studied the field below. Stages were set up. Wide platforms were set up with a number of empty chairs. A wide sign illuminated the word Patheos behind it. Jensen wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but the time slot for the rally indicated the speakers were on a break.
"What brings you to the rally?" The gentleman inquired.
Jensen wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Patheos was an online community of every major religion in the world. Their rally at a Moscow sports' stadium was to talk about the meaning of all the changes in the world of recent, and the impact it had upon the spiritual world.
He took a deep, thoughtful breath. "Guidance? Answers? Perspective? Maybe it's none of those things."
He shrugged.
"I know what you mean." He agreed. It seemed Jensen wasn't the only lost soul out there. The stadium was filled with thousands of them. He offered a handshake, "Sigvard Viggo," he introduced himself and the name matched his northern european accent.
"Jensen James,"
he replied and reluctantly shook hands.
Sigvard nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Pastor."
Jensen sighed. He should have provided a fake name after all. "A pleasure to meet you too."
Edited by Jensen James, Jan 6 2018, 11:46 AM.