Gypsies

I guess every culture has its own version of gypsies, transients, migrants, roamers or nomads.  The people who roam from place to place, never putting down roots, but stopping here and there for a while to engage in an activity that will net a little money for the next leg of the journey.  We generally don't have a very good opinion of gypsies, even though we may occasionally find a reason to purchase some of their goods or support them somehow on their journey.

If we look to the Bible we find that many of God's chosen people were transients and nomads.  The chosen people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years.  Jesus and his band of disciples went from place to place in a nomadic fashion to serve the world.  And, our faith says that our true home is not in this world and we are but nomads here, visitors for a while.

While we might never call our selves "gypsies", indeed, that is what we are.  We are here in this world by the grace and promise of God to visit for a while before returning to our true and eternal home.  While here we depend on the grace of God to bless us along the way, to guide and direct our journey and to shower all goodness upon us.

In Turkey we saw the occasional band of gypsies.  Some were more like our migrant workers, camped out to work in the fields.  Others, like these, had camped alongside the road to share the wares of their craft.

Thanks for stopping by "Sketchings..."  as we roam this world together.