Day 194 of 365 - Time Stands Still
Yesterday, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France burned. Although much of the structure remains intact, the roof and spire are gone and the extent of interior damage will be assessed. It is over 800 years old and was 200 years in the making.
Just imagine the hundreds, if not thousands of pairs of hands that were involved in every aspect of that. It's unfathomable how many people have visited or worshiped on that sacred site over the centuries. So much history!
Tourist photos are popping up all over social media, with comments of gratitude that they were able to see it in its glory. I've never been to Paris, to France, or anywhere in Europe for that matter. But, I still feel incredibly saddened by this event.
The cathedral is such an iconic symbol for Europeans and North Americans, whether we are Christian or not. We just expect something like that to always be there. Already claims are being made that it will be restored to its former glory, but will it ever be the same?
This seems to be one of those moments in time that stops us in our tracks, in horror and in disbelief of the tragedy.
After the initial shock has passed, we resume our usual activities. Or, maybe it has been a kind of wake up call, to quit procrastinating about some decision or action we have been meaning to take. Perhaps in a way, it mirrors some tragedy in your own life, something awful that has turned everything on its head. Maybe it leads you to say, at least to yourself, 'See, this is my life too, just a shell of what it used to be!'.
All feelings are valid. Once the immediate crisis has passed, we are left with our ongoing form of grief about the actual event, or about that of which it has reminded us. This is yet another life opportunity to shift perspective, reconsider what we most value and whether we are living by those values.
It will be interesting to see unfolding stories in the coming days, about huge donations (which have already begun) for restoration, about people willing to drop everything to help in that project. But, it's also worthwhile to just sit with our feelings to see what shifts in us, what is stirred to the surface by this event of great magnitude.
It also seems worth mention that the fire occurred during Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian liturgical calendar, leading up to Easter. It's so symbolic, a tragic death of sorts of a great figure. One wonders what kind of alchemy will occur to facilitate it rising again.
Just imagine the hundreds, if not thousands of pairs of hands that were involved in every aspect of that. It's unfathomable how many people have visited or worshiped on that sacred site over the centuries. So much history!
Tourist photos are popping up all over social media, with comments of gratitude that they were able to see it in its glory. I've never been to Paris, to France, or anywhere in Europe for that matter. But, I still feel incredibly saddened by this event.
The cathedral is such an iconic symbol for Europeans and North Americans, whether we are Christian or not. We just expect something like that to always be there. Already claims are being made that it will be restored to its former glory, but will it ever be the same?
This seems to be one of those moments in time that stops us in our tracks, in horror and in disbelief of the tragedy.
After the initial shock has passed, we resume our usual activities. Or, maybe it has been a kind of wake up call, to quit procrastinating about some decision or action we have been meaning to take. Perhaps in a way, it mirrors some tragedy in your own life, something awful that has turned everything on its head. Maybe it leads you to say, at least to yourself, 'See, this is my life too, just a shell of what it used to be!'.
All feelings are valid. Once the immediate crisis has passed, we are left with our ongoing form of grief about the actual event, or about that of which it has reminded us. This is yet another life opportunity to shift perspective, reconsider what we most value and whether we are living by those values.
It will be interesting to see unfolding stories in the coming days, about huge donations (which have already begun) for restoration, about people willing to drop everything to help in that project. But, it's also worthwhile to just sit with our feelings to see what shifts in us, what is stirred to the surface by this event of great magnitude.
It also seems worth mention that the fire occurred during Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian liturgical calendar, leading up to Easter. It's so symbolic, a tragic death of sorts of a great figure. One wonders what kind of alchemy will occur to facilitate it rising again.
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