compared to Mary. They told us in the church that she had to travel 140 km on foot to Bethlehem, while being nearly 9 months pregnant. I do remember in some movie (Nativity Story?) they showed her on a donkey, but still, I doubt the journey would be very comfortable. And then they had to sleep in a stable, too. Somehow I can't imagine a modern Western woman doing anything similar, and then without moaning and complaining:) But then, how many men would be up to the task, either?
Modern civilisation has spoiled us all rotten, I guess...
I was about 6 or 7 months carrying around an eight-pound baby when I walked about 2.5 miles to a train station from my house (because the buses weren't operating), and that wasn't very comfortable, but manageable. And I love to walk.
ReplyDeleteModernity does render us sedentary, spoiled, and even lazy, among a plethora of other results.
Our bodies are addicted to comfort and very few, if any of us, could have handled what Mary and Joseph handled.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, isn't it? They actually say brisk walking is the best exercise. Personally I find traveling long distances by car tiresome enough, can't imagine traveling very far on foot! A book I have about Roman roads in Germany says that they had guest houses every 25 km because that was the distance you were supposed to walk in one day.
ReplyDeleteI just calculated, it would mean that Mary and Joseph had approximately a 6 day trip and very soon upon their arrival she would have her baby. The preacher also said that Bethlehem was situated higher up so that they had to go uphill, too!
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