Praia de Malhão - Wish U Were Here

Down the west coast of Portugal, the Costa Alentejana, lies the Praia de Malhão, that most Irish of Portuguese beaches. Don’t know why it should be so, but it just feels Irish. Something about the smell of the ozone, the way the seagulls wheel around the craggy rock formations, or the splashes of colour where sea pinks and other flowers blossom in the cliffs. Or, maybe it’s the lack of access - no paved carpark, no boardwalk, no coffee shops, no restaurants serving bacalhau and sardines. But it’s wonderful. And still very popular in these summer months with Portuguese holiday makers from the nearby resort of Vila Nova de Milfontes. For me, it’s the undiscovered, non-Algarve, non-Lisbon side of the Portuguese coast I love the best

The sort of beach you want to send home picture postcards about. You know, the sort of cards that says “Wish U Were Here”. I was thinking about that, because of reading John 14:3 today, which is sort of Jesus’ holiday picture postcard to all of his friends, saying how he so wants them to be where he is. We tend to write postcards from holidays to people we care about for two main reasons - one, because we want to share how much we are enjoying it, and secondly, because we value our relationship with them so much, and wish they could be with us. But we often write these sentiments so casually, and without much meaning.

When Jesus says that his desire is that “where I am, there you may be also”, he means every word, and ... the postcard is written in his blood. It’s not a vague throwaway comment - “Oh, I wish you could enjoy Heaven with me”. It’s a purposeful statement of intent. I’m going to make sure that you will get to where I am going - even if it kills me