A Group of Spiritual Athletes
If you have watched professional athletes stride into an arena before a contest — gear in hand — you will recognize the reference in our headline. They enter using a relaxed yet energized gait, arms and shoulders loose. They ooze confidence that comes from relentless years of training. Elite dancers ramble like that too. These Russian priests were moving over cobblestones employing that same benign swagger, and so put me in mind of athletes — just as agile and determined but in a different realm of practice.
