[Faith-Talk] Notre Dame fire

[Deborah]

Very thoughtful.  Thanks, Bill.

Debbie Brown


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From: Faith-Talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bill
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Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2019 2:25 PM
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Subject: [Faith-Talk] Notre Dame fire

Hi, I'm sending this to both lists for comment and enjoyment.  I came up
with this essay today after contemplating the events of yesterday's news.
Ponder and comment if you like.  

 

Notre Dame 

By Bill Outman 

 

It seemed in one way an ordinary spring day of comings and goings, yet in
the midst of extraordinary events.  Dickens would agree that we are in some
ways in the best of times, and yet in other ways the worst of times, though
one could fairly argue there have been worse times.  

 

Those of us who are Christian, at least in the western church, had just
observed Palm Sunday.  We were looking forward to the remainder of the
observances leading to Easter or Resurrection Sunday.  Jews were about to
observe Passover, the event being commemorated by Jesus and the Apostles.
We had just witnessed Tiger Woods, one of the greatest golfers of all time,
cap an improbable comeback to the top of his sport in a great story of human
triumph.  The wonders of science and technology never cease to amaze.  Yet
simultaneously, just as fifty years ago when we first set foot on the moon,
we are engulfed in trouble.  Here at home in the U. S., we had just heard
that a report on the current presidential administration would be released
this week on Maundy Thursday.  It concerns controversies about how this
president came to power, perhaps partly due to international intrigue, and
attempts to hide the truth for fear it would be embarrassing.  To be fair,
the Trump presidency is as much a symptom of the divisions and fears already
present, though the campaign and subsequent administration has further
stoked these.  In Europe, some of these same divisions, fears, and
shortsightedness were also present.  They had led to Britain voting to leave
the European Union, but then being unable so far to agree on what
relationship it wants with the EU.  Meanwhile the EU itself has struggled to
define relations between itself and its member states in such a way that
might have averted this crunch point.  France itself has been mired in
controversy among its own people in part over parts of the country that feel
neglected and disrespected.  In short, despite our technology, we are a
divided, unfocused society.  

 

It was income tax filing day here in America, and Patriots Day in New
England, on which the famous Boston Marathon race was run.  But unlike a few
years ago, when tragedy struck that event, this time tragedy overseas was
reverberating.  At first, some of us were unsure where this was happening or
what was occurring.  Then we heard it was a building fire, still though not
clear what kind or where.  We wondered if it was caused terrorism
momentarily, a reasonable fear especially ever since the September 11, 2001
attacks,  once it became clear it was Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but it
soon became apparent it was an accident stemming from much needed
renovation.  That didn't diminish the consequences, sadly.  

 

Notre Dame is a medieval Catholic cathedral begun in the 12th century which
has undergone numerous expansions and renovations over the centuries.  It
went through some periods of neglect, but survived the French Revolution and
both world wars.  It saw the Renaissance  and the Enlightenment, two
movements that made our current western society possible, and which gave it
both strengths and weaknesses.  

 

It was used as the initial symbol of civilization in Ken Clark's famous
1960s television series when he noted that he couldn't define civilization
but remarked he was looking at it when viewing Notre Dame.  Such buildings
as these have become symbols of and repositories for expressions of faith
and the arts.  

 

Cathedrals were intended as teaching tools for semi-literate populations
about the faith.  Everything from sculptures, statues, paintings, and
stained glass windows told of God and human history, at least as the church
saw it.  Even the shape of the building, a cross, was meant as an honor to
Christ and reminder to the people.  They became great construction projects
greater than any individual, thus serving as unifying forces for the
community and reminding us of transcendent values.  These projects were
remarkable achievements in an era that relied largely on strictly human
labor.  

 

As we approach 2020, the symbol of clear vision at least for those using
imperial British measures,  somehow, providentially perhaps, we were given a
great vision in spite of the tragedy.  We began recalling things we have
possibly come to neglect in our own time.  In her greatest travail, Notre
Dame may be about to teach the greatest lessons in its history. 

 

Miraculously it seems, no one perished in the conflagration.  The stone
frame including the iconic twin bell towers appears to have survived.  While
it is true that we can draw from this disaster the lesson that the church is
about the people and their relationship with God, and that buildings don't
really matter,  this isn't the only lesson we could learn.  After all, Jesus
did say that those who worship him would do so in spirit and in truth,
meaning God can be honored anywhere, not just in a physical temple.
Moreover, the early church generally did not have the luxury of erecting
massive structures.  

 

Yet we can't avoid coming back to the stone that survived.  "Upon this rock
I will build my church," Jesus said,  referring to Peter's statement about
Him being the Messiah, and what that meant about the purpose of Christ's
coming, which was to reconcile us with God.  Jesus finished that statement
by saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, that is, the
church.  Earlier in Matthew's gospel he had discussed how a house built on a
strong foundation of rock would withstand the storms of life.   

 

The building went through trial by fire, just as we do in life personally
and society in general.   These are twin fires, both of destruction that
seek to devour us, and the purifying flame of the Holy Spirit.  Paul
expounds on this in chapter 3 of his first letter to the church at Corinth,
relating it to our actions in life, later reminding us that our bodies,
meaning ourselves, are to be treated as temples of God, not merely the
buildings we may attend to honor Him.  

 

Yet we are saved even if our works are not of the best quality, this chapter
promises, if we continue earnestly in our walk with God.  By grace through
thoughtful actions, many of the relics were saved from the fire, just as we
can be saved from judgment of the actions of human frailty that brought
about this tragic accident.  

 

As this occurred at the start of Passion week, which commemorates the death,
burial and resurrection of Christ, we should take pause to recall these
things in our own lives and our society.  This symbolizes death of the
former things, some which we cherish but also some ways of thinking and
acting that ought to be left behind, then burial of those negative things,
but then hope for and resurrection in our lives.  As we restore this
valuable edifice, we should both take advantage of 21st century techniques
but do so in a way that honors the some 850 years of history that Notre Dame
has witnessed, lest we forget.  But we should also remember the values such
structures were meant to convey, lives lived in service to each other and
God and not merely for transitory personal advantage, important as our
individual wants and needs might at times be.  If we are merely restoring a
building, we have missed the point and our labors will be in vain and
signify nothing.  

 

 

 

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