On a bright sunny day in Vancouver about 15 years ago I witnessed my first long-distance run. The videographer working with me knew where to get the best shots — at the bottom of a hill on Georgia Street, about a kilometre from the starting line.

Staring up the empty street we waited. The first sign of movement was a line of bobbing heads as runners emerged over the top of the hill. What followed was an avalanche of humanity undulating down the street. Thousands and thousands of people, all sizes, ages and running ability, on foot, in strollers pushed by running moms and dads, in wheelchairs. Family, friends and spectators cheered as they began their arduous run. And the cheering and encouragement continued...

JERUSALEM - Quietly the men in brown robes mingle with tourists and pilgrims alike. For more than seven centuries, the Franciscans have kept watch on behalf of the Church for more than 50 sites in the Holy Land — 90 per cent of the identified holy places.

In the award-winning film Lincoln, the American president and his wife are seen riding in a carriage discussing their relationship and dreams for the future. At one point Lincoln looks off into the distance and muses about visiting the Holy Land and walking in the footsteps of David and Solomon.

A discount flight, a tour bus and guide will put you in the middle of biblical history in a matter of hours. Particularly at Easter, pilgrims by the thousands arrive in the Holy Land.

In vibrant orange letters, a fashion store on Vancouver’s trendy Robson Street tried to attract shoppers with the words “Stop blending in.” Apparently, its clothing line lifts buyers from the near uniformity of today’s fashions into another realm that makes a personal statement.