The fire of
Notre Dame Cathedral was a tragedy for Humanity. Not because of the religious connotation.
As a
religious icon the Cathedral should bring to mind the viciousness of a
religious state. At the time of the
building of Notre Dame the Catholic Church, which six hundred years prior had
ushered in the Dark Ages, was instituting the Inquisition. Thousands of people were consequently burned
at the stake, or crushed, or tortured and murdered in the name of God, in the
most diabolical ways imagined.
The tragedy of the destruction of Notre Dame
is that it stands as a monument to the marvelous evolution of mankind. That architects, stone masons and carpenters
in the twelfth century could construct such a magnificent edifice, with such
primitive construction equipment, is astounding.
The beauty of
the Notre Dame Cathedral, with its architecture, stone carvings, sculptures,
stained glass, wood and textile artistry, speaks to the higher nature and achievements
of our species, within a mere four million years from when the first bipedal
ape walked across the plains of Africa.
We are truly
a magnificent species, though our egocentricity and proclivity for violence will
ultimately bring about our own demise.
On another
level, the fire of Notre Dame is a warning that nature can erase us and our achievements
in a brief moment.
the Ol’Buzzard
Absolutely. Its legacy is humanity's spirit and creativity, not the authoritarian organization behind it.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, amazing structure, but I'll confess I'm thoroughly amused by the fuss being made over the rescued "relics." You know, "wow, it's a miracle the crown of thorns survived" as if it actually was The crown of thorns supposedly placed on Jesus's head 2,000 years ago. We humans are so gullible it's unreal. Even with the historical evidence of what a thriving trade there was in fake relics over the centuries, people still want to believe in stuff like the crown of thorns, pieces of the true cross, nails that were supposedly used, you name it.
ReplyDelete