A Moment in Time

 

 

It was a beautiful Spring day in Paris, back in April of 2014. when our family had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Europe and we thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the  landmarks that we visited was The Notre Dame Cathedral. It was so majestic in its grandeur, outside and in.

I felt peace as I walked inside admiring the beautiful stained glass windows, the artwork and the lighted candles. There was a respectful hushed silence as many of us filled the cathedral.

Sadly there was a different type of silence this past Monday, as a huge crowd was gathered watching flames overcome the Cathedral. This wasn’t just a historic monument that was burning, for many it was their special place of worship.

Yes, God isn’t just found in majestic buildings, He can be in the most humble shack and you can feel His presence in the wonder and beauty of nature, but still for many The Notre Dame Cathedral held very special meaning for them and my heart goes out to them.

Thankfully the fire did not totally destroy the Cathedral, but it has suffered severe damage and it will be a long process to rebuild.

The Notre Dame Cathedral took over a hundred years to build! It has over 12 million people a year visit it as it is the most visited monument in France. The cathedral’s towers are more than 220 feet tall and the building is more than 400 feet long, according to Notre Dame’s website. It’s almost 52,000 square feet.

While reading some facts about The Notre Dame Cathedral, I came upon this  interesting fact, one that may not be known to many.  A hive of bees was intentionally placed on the Notre Dame rooftop in 2013. It was placed there to  help protect biodiversity and help prevent bees from dying off. Apparently beehives have now  been thriving on the spires of Notre Dame and Bee keeping has risen in the city of Paris, with a lot of the honey produced by the bees being given to the poor.

I am very glad we got to visit The Notre Dame Cathedral and I believe that it will shine again.

What moved me is how once again people draw together when there is a tragedy. How we can put aside our differences in the moment. People gathered in the streets and were singing Ave Maria together in front of the Cathedral. If only it didn’t take tragedies for people to join hands.

It wasn’t just the ones on the streets of Paris coming together, but people from around the world were tuned in  watching it on their televisions. I am sure some may have joined in singing “Ave Maria” too,  as they watched. Many others who watched had their hearts touched. If only it wasn’t just for a moment in time when people could share love and compassion with each other and sing in harmony. If only we could live in harmony as well.