Kaleidscopes and Cracks

My first “day” in Dublin was one of simply wandering the streets. I observed the people, listened to their beautiful accents, and took in the different architecture.

Dublin is kaleidoscopic to me. If you scratch a little beneath the surface, you can see chapters of history playing and mingling with one another, almost like cracks or rifts that are trying to weave together. For example, there are marks of Christianity alongside those of pagan traditions, signs are written both in the native language Irish, and the outsider English, and there is a sense of there being native Irish and those from other parts of the word.

Geographically, one may think of Dublin as being bisected by the River Liffey. This inlet from the Irish Sea was used by the Vikings when they began to settle here during Medieval times.

The last time I was in Dublin, I stayed south of the River Liffey, an area known for its striking Georgian architecture, many museums and libraries, and greenery। This time, I’m staying north of the river. It is much more industrial and worn down. As I walked along the streets, I noticed houses with broken windows, garbage strewn about the pavement, and houses with crusted paint just about to snap off their sides… another crack: north and south of the river.

As I walked down one particular street, I saw a rusted gutter pipe run down into the corner of someone’s porch. It occupied a space between the stairs and a rusty rail. From underneath grew a beautiful blanket of clover-like weeds speckled with lavender and white flowers. It grew like ivy up and around the decayed wooden façade and iron gate… another crack: growth and decay.

Finally, I was struck by a poem I found resting before a statue of St. Patick in the St. Francis Xavier Church. It read: O Patrick…/ In spite of the King of Tara/You kindled the paschal fire on the/Hill of Slane/While smoke and flame have never/yet been enlightened.

In this poem we find the exultation of St. Patrick. He is praised for managing to enlighten a nation of pagan kingdoms with the words of Christianity… another crack: monotheism and polytheism.

What cracks and kaleidoscopes will I find today?