An Ode to Prague

The first time I visited Prague almost two years ago, I arrived after dark and blindly followed Beth through the streets of Old Town, marveling at each new sight and praising it above the previous, until we reached Charles Bridge, it’s looming statues black against the illuminated castle in the background, reflecting itself in the peacefully flowing Vltava. I hadn’t seen anything so beautiful in my entire life, nor have any of my numerous European adventures presented any challenge since. I had been in the country only a few days, mostly taking in the realities of Sokolov, and this glittering panorama contrasted greatly with the low expectations I had set. And I decided at that moment that I was happy I didn’t live in Prague, because I was afraid I’d forget how beautiful it was…

…I had the opportunity to test that hypothesis this year, enjoying 5 months of life teaching in the “city of a thousand spires”, with its romantic charm and seemingly endless beauty, its western hangouts, sprawling parks, and hidden squares. But, I never forgot its beauty. In fact, every time tram 18 made its way down the hill from Hradcanska to Malostranska, opening up a glorious aerial view of the city, I thought to myself, “I live in the most beautiful city in the world.”

Within a few weeks, I was a public transportation expert, had frequented the popular Czech and expat hangouts, explored the city’s outer reaches, and learned to blend in like with the local “cityfolk”, despite my small-town Czech background J

And I was surrounded by beautiful people who laughed with me, cried with me, listened to me, prayed with me, accepted me and supported me. From 80s night at Club Hvezda, to picnics in the park; from teaching English at Christian English camps, to inviting students over for Murder Mystery parties at the flat; from crazy tram antics, to doing the chicken dance at the school ball; from attending ballets at the beautiful National Theater, to listening to our students serenade us on the violin outside our office door… for the first time in a long time, I felt loved. I was happy, having fun and smiling again. I was enjoying life.

Prague, I came to you sad and broken, incapable of spreading joy. I came to you feeling like a failure, carrying the guilt of having to leave Sokolov and all the work I was doing there. But, in the end, I realized that God had called me to Prague for a reason, and it wasn’t simply to minister to others: it was to minister to me as well, and Prague did just that. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten that it was ok for to have fun and be joyful, even as a missionary, and that it wasn’t “cheating”. The Lord rejuvenated me in Prague, filling me with joy that could be felt both internally and externally.

Meandering across Charles Bridge at dusk on my last evening in the Czech Republic, I let the wind brush my face lightly as I took in the sparkling lights reflecting off the water and adding a golden glow to the waterfront facades, as if the entire city were on fire. I knew I was about to leave this place, this city, this country that I’d called my home for almost 2 years, but I wasn’t really that sad. I was thankful. I was thankful for everything I had experienced, everything I had learned. Indeed, Sokolov and Prague revealed to me the varied spectrum of realities existing in the Czech Republic, both personally and on a greater scale, and I was thankful for that as well. Had I lived only in Prague, I would have been ignorant of the country’s true need outside of the city; had I lived only in Sokolov, I would have been unaware of the hope that still existed.

Experiencing that hope that had emerged from within Prague reminded me of the amazing things happening in the Czech Republic, what an influence we can make there, and what an influence it can have on us. Prague made me smile again; it made me accept truths again that I had forgotten. Somehow its beauty had affected me and, in turn, had made me feel beautiful again too, because I got to be a part of it.