Paris Encore

This note as I wait at the gate 45 at Charles deGaulle airport in Paris. It was a good trip and as always, I already miss the city. There are several highlights from this visit including meeting my friend and colleague Brooks Schramm (Professor of Old Testament at Gettysburg Seminary) in Amsterdam. Usually we meet in Europe with Kirsi Stjerna (his wife), however, this year they had to take separate research trips in Europe. So, Brooks and I were on our own. The beer and wine were flowing.

In Amsterdam, I was able to finally get into the New Church. It was the place of the opening service of the Evangelical Alliance in 1867 and Daniel A. Payne was there. The last time I was in Amsterdam, the church was under renovation so I only had outside photos of the building. It is used for a variety of events. Presently, there is an exhibition on African masks and figures from the Ivory Coast. It was extensive and included a couple of films that elaborated on a technique or an artist. One can still see the nave of the church in the midst of the exhibition, so I took some photos of the inside. Brooks and I took the cruise around the waterways of Amsterdam. It was interesting with historical and cultural highlights of the city. Again, it was a good weekend trip.

I attended a Soirée on Sunday. The topic centered on terrorism in France from the Algerian crisis in the early 60s to the most recent attacks in Paris. He speaker was a retired Foreign Service officer. So he was a knowledgeable resource for the topic. Patricia LaPlante Collins continues to have interesting guests as well as ex-pats in the group. I would recommend going to an event while you are in Paris. It will give you a different perspective on life in Paris and France, besides, you will meet interesting people. Here is the link: http://patriciasparissoirees.com/.

Another highlight of this trip came from being on the Parissoirees list. Patricia reminded all of us of the opening of the Romare Bearden exhibition that opened at Reid Hall (Columbia University's Paris Center). It was a good exhibition and highlighted Bearden's time in Paris which he reflected in his drawings, drawing, and sketches several years after his visit. The host for the event was Robert O'Meally of Columbia and the President of Columbia University.

Paris continues to fascinate me and others who come to the City of Light. Paris always give me energy for research and writing.