It was very sad to see the pictures of Notre Dame Cathedral burning. It’s important for us to preserve our cultural treasures, and I’m glad to hear that parts of it survived. It is reassuring to learn that it will be rebuilt. In the midst of this sadness I found two positives.

The first is that it brought back memories of a marvelous day that Paulette and I spent at the Cathedral. We were younger then, and we were able to climb to the top of one of the square towers that help form its façade. The view of Paris was breath-taking (as was the climb), but the up-close views of the gargoyles was just as captivating. Inside, I ran into a fellow with whom I had gone to college; it was a big cathedral, but a small world. While we were sitting and resting, they started “chasing” out the tour groups, because a worship service was about to start. We decided to stay, and were glad that we did. With the tourists gone, the giant building became a place of quiet reverence; we found ourselves sending our own prayers upward. Soon the organ prelude began, and the massive organ (which thankfully they have managed to save from the fire) filled the cathedral with glorious music; it was almost as though the stones were singing. Neither Paulette nor I can speak French, but nevertheless we found the service filled with meaning. It was like our own mini-Pentecost.

The second positive came from the Parisians who congregated watching the Cathedral burn; as they watched they sang and prayed. One group was singing “Je Vous Salue Marie” (the French version of “Ave Maria”), while standing on one of the bridges over the Seine; it was beautiful, as though they had rehearsed. A group in another part of the city kneeled as they sang and prayed. Their responses helped me feel connected to the rest of God’s world-wide Church.

While we can’t help being saddened by the fire damage to Notre Dame, it is only a building, and we need to realize that Peter, the other apostles, and all Christians through the ages are the rocks God has used in building His Church. In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” Please read the rest of this passage, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17, where Paul continues this metaphor and emphasizes that Christ is the foundation, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

Notre Dame Gargoyles Face the Flames