The Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world. Construction started in 1248 and was completed in 1880, all the time staying true to the original plans. Its North Tower is 516 feet tall, which made the cathedral the tallest building in the world for a period of time in the nineteenth century. It covers 86,111 square feet (about two acres) and can hold 20,000 people.

Paulette and I were fortunate to attend a service at the cathedral in December, 2005. The service was a multi-national, non-denominational one (not a mass) that included lots of music, both congregational and organ, together with a short message. Different parts were given in different languages, and the accompanying printed materials were in four or five languages. The universality of the Christmas message was emphasized by several beautifully constructed miniature villages (the Germans call them a Putz) displayed around the cathedral; they were from a different countries, and included an adobe one from the American southwest. Each was about ten feet square and had about 30 or 40 little buildings, but at the center of each village was a community nativity display. After the service Paulette and I both felt blessed; the carols were wonderful and the organ made the huge cathedral, and our hearts, reverberate. The only negative was that we almost froze to death, since the cathedral is much too big to heat. We were told that during the winter the organ had to be tuned weekly.

We visited the Cathedral again this past summer, and what a difference! It was packed with tourists; it was so crowded that you couldn’t walk, only shuffle. People were loudly talking, crowding and pushing to take pictures, and even eating. You could hardly hear yourself think because of all the din. There were lots of men wearing baseball caps – indoors. Outside the plaza was full also, and it was made worse by sidewalk chalk artists, buskers and others trying to make money off all the tourists. It was worse than Disney World.

I’ve thought about this second visit several times since last summer, usually with sadness. Reflecting on it now, however, I see that maybe my thoughts were too harsh. There were some people in the Cathedral who were quietly sitting, maybe in meditation and prayer. Some of the visitors were seriously studying the art and stained glass windows, and they probably discovered the religious messages the artists were trying to convey. God had not left the place; it was I who had been distracted from his message of unconditional love for all.

Jim