Light in the Darkess: Notre Dame

The world bent collective head in sorrow the other day as fire consumed Notre Dame Cathedral in France.  A sacred space to many Christians; it was and IS also a place of history and art.  It doesn't matter who you are; everyone can appreciate the beauty that is Notre Dame.  To see the blaze devour the roof and to watch in horror as the spire crumbed; didn't we all break a little inside?

As horrific as the scene was there is still light and there is still hope. The fire is out; the painful damage is done.  Yet...

(Photo taken from Skynews)




The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this was from the book of John:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

There is darkness in this world.  There always has been and there always will be, but light will shine.  The darkness will NOT overtake us.  The collective human spirit will not allow it.

This is not to make light of the horrors of the world.  But even during the darkest of times, there is light.  It may be only a tiny ray, barely visible to the eye, but there is light.

I see the flames burning Notre Dame, a place I have never visited and my heart aches.  It aches for all those how have worshipped there.  For all who have visited in and stood in awe. But in all of this destruction there is hope.  No lives were lost.  The damage was not total.  Though there is darkness; the cathedral, battered and damaged still stands.  The light, that is humankind, will not let this be the end.  Instead this out of this horror, there will be a new beginning.  Because despite all of the darkness in this world, there will always be light.  A light that radiates not from the sky, but from humankind.  From our hearts and souls, we innately know what must be done.  That we cannot allow the darkness to overcome our world.  That we must care and preserve our history.  That we must care and love for each other.  That together we ARE the light.  Together we CREATE the light.  

The darkness has NOT overcome it.  It never has.  It never will.



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