Check out this church, located in Columbia, South America. Click this link to find more pictures of this and other marvelous church buildings. I will definitely add this church to my list of "Things I Must See Before I Die".
[Following information taken from the blog listed above]The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Las Lajas, or the Las Lajas Cathedral [wiki] in Colombia, was built in 1916 on a site where, according to local legend, the Virgin Mary appeared. The story goes like this: an Indian woman named María Mueses de Quiñones was carrying her deaf-mute daughter Rosa on her back near Las Lajas ("The Rocks"). Weary of the climb, the María sat down on a rock when Rosa spoke (for the first time) about an apparition in a cave.
Later on, a mysterious painting of the Virgin Mary carrying a baby was discovered on the wall of the cave. Supposedly, studies of the painting showed no proof of paint or pigments on the rock - instead, when a core sample was taken, it was found that the colors were impregnated in the rock itself to a depth of several feet.
Whether true or not, the legend spurred the building of a gothic church worthy of a fairy tale.
Beautiful, yes. I'm all for functional and "nice" buildings -- but I see so much need for evangelism and outreach in the world. While I understand the idea of beauty for the honor of God, I guess I question which honors God more. I tend to lean toward his church being more important than a church made for him. I'm not saying glorious buildings and such are wrong or sinful, I'd argue the other way. I just mentally weigh their values differently. Both are good, but in my opinion, not both equally honoring.
ReplyDeleteI'm also largely influenced by my Catholic heritage. I have seen beauty and shallowness. Majesty and corruption. Glorious things, and people with no relationship to their God.
I'm going to go pray in a cardboard box now...