The Library of Alexandria

I am sitting at a terminal inside of the new Library of Alexandria. It is only 5 years old, and is amazing in every imaginable aspect. It's complex won an international award upon opening in 2003 (well deserved, too) and the sear volume of information contained within is likely an attempt to regain her status as the largest library in the world, as she was before multiple fires around 2000 years ago. At first I was utterly in awe of my surroundings. The sheer history I was seeing was earth-shattering. Reality only began to sink in while watching a video on the history of Alexandria and the library during our tour. And reality hit me hard.

The Alexandria that once was- is no more. The pride they took in their library has been gone for what seems to be an eternity, and the scholarship of Alexandria has passed away. As I sit in this re-creation of an era-gone-by I have to look past reality in order to be completely captivated. Reality is that people once came here to train, but my tour guide learned English in the U.S. in order to come back to Alexandria to give tours. This place once held vital information, but now everything is available online to everyone. Alexandria has fallen victim to the passage of time, as will we all. Her days were but short and glorious, but then they passed away. This moment reminds me of a favorite quote of mine by Marcus Aurelius...

"Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away."

My experience here was capped-off with a look at an old record book used to keep track of wages and abscences among library staff here in the 19th century. A book of bound paper that was of major significance to the names found in the rolls. Their income was based completely on the book I was viewing. In that moment, I could not help but think about the things that are of worldly importance to me that could someday be viewed in a museum by people who do not care at all for the artifact. That the things of this life will be rendered meaningless at some point by a spectator who will look at something that I valued greatly and respond with a simple "Ohh, that is interesting."

Just as Egypt has faded, so too will I. I end this post reminded of the words of David...

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."
Psalm 39: 4-7