Today, I was checking out castles and cathedrals and monestaries and abbeys and that type of thing. (On a related note, I know someone who's kissed the Blarney Stone! How awesome is that?) Anyway, Seth and I got into a discussion about the Confused Catholics and their architecture. (I'm buying Westminster Abbey, by the way.)
Evidently, time out of Purgatory is great motivation for building amazing cathedrals. (Or is it their devotion to God? Maybe that's it.) We Baptists are, how did Seth put it, "Down to earth, something about preaching, farmers, and we rock."
Yes, we rock, but we have boring architecture.
Why is that?
Maybe because we spend all our money on food. (Baptists only believe in Six Deadly Sins. There's really no such thing as "gluttony;" eating heartily is gracious and a form of praising God.)
Or maybe because God doesn't care about architecture. He knows it's all temporary. What happens inside the building isn't. (Or at least it shouldn't be.) Yeah, we love bell towers and massive baptisteries and stained glass, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Does God get more glory when we meet in a big, fancy church? Maybe. Maybe people really do marvel at the work people put into that. Maybe people really do love visiting Westminster and the Sistine Chapel.
But do people walk out of there thinking, "Wow, I wish I was a Christian. I've always wanted to be a construction worker."
No.
People should walk out of church thinking, "Wow, I wish I was a Christian. I've always wanted peace and joy and acceptance."
Do they?
Hello, what are you doing here? What a waste of time. You could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do.
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