Order and Purpose

We live in the present and future; the calendar is the proof. But we need order and balance.

Now, a government building, a church, a synagogue, or a temple are all subject to an imbalance, that is, to what purpose the building was designed, its function is interrupted by vandals, madcaps, and even malcontents within the organization, and a congregation. It happens, but we certainly are responsible for setting things right.

Jesus drove merchants out of the temple, a house of prayer turned into a marketplace. Something had to be done, and Jesus portrayed as a temple abused and knocked down, brought order to the temple and foretold his reconstruction and resurrection.

Like the temple, our churches are more than just a building. They occupy a space visually, indicating they are not big box store buildings or sports arenas. Church architecture informs us these church structures steeple to the sky, pointing to heaven.

Visuals enhance understanding. Church spires stick out on the landscape. Church domes mound up from the ground and express themselves from the inside. Together, these structures must remain important edifices in the community lest they become architectural museums.

A day to be conscious of our steeples and domes in the shadow of the Lateran Basilica in Rome reminds us we are connected as a Church. The Lateran family certainly left a legacy. We may never get naming rights for donating a basilica, but as a community, what will be our legacy, so those steeples and domes are not just a memory of what used to be.

Prayer:

May I live these words: there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)