I have read a lot of people express that Notre Dame is just a building and all the money to fix it could be used in better ways. Over a billion dollars has been donated to help restore the cathedral. That tells me it is more than just a building to a lot of people.
I do not believe that Notre Dame is just a building and I will explain why I feel this way. Years ago I read that a true sign of faith is to plant a tree even though you know you will never sit under it’s branches. That is how I see a cathedral like Notre Dame. It took over 200 years to build it. It was built to the glory of God. Generations of men worked on it because they loved God and yet they worked day after day and year after year knowing they would never see it completed. I don’t know anyone who does that today.
It is obvious that life today is far superior to life back then. This means we have the opportunity to do many things to the glory of God such as missionary work, and supporting organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse to name two but we don’t do anything on the level of Notre Dame. In this modern, fast moving world most of us suffer from some amount of ‘immediate gratification’ syndrome. In our work and even our everyday lives we look for the most expedient, efficient and inexpensive way to complete any task. A new building involves all kinds of bids and sadly often goes to the lowest bidder. It is hard to imagine any building built today lasting 850 years.
We need to remember that at this time there was a belief in God and all he can do in our lives that sadly we don’t see anymore. We have way too much faith in science. Now, don’t think I am against science. It is thanks to science that we have the medical breakthroughs that allow us to live healthier and happier lives. It is why we have the technology that allows us to fly, communicate in the blink of an eye, watch TV and on and on. However, too many people have forgotten the Creator and worship the creations instead. Cell phones are a must in today’s fast paced world yet they have become a downfall for our society interacting with each other. This of course is a balance issue but again all propagated by science. The Bible is clear on the importance of God’s people interacting with each other so I am pretty sure He is not pleased with how we are using some of the technology we have today. I only need say the word “computers” and we all know the good and bad that they can open up to users.
Notre Dame stands for all, that today is not, when it comes to a relationship with God. People needed him in a more visceral way back then. Life was so fragile that the slightest cut could lead to sepsis and boom your dead! The life expectancy at the time the Cathedral was built was 31 years for a male. If he lived to be 20 he might get make it to 45 and if he lived to be 30 he might see the 50’s. Yet, despite knowing they probably wouldn’t live long, hundreds of men worked tirelessly so that one day a building, unlike any other, would stand to honor God.
No, Notre Dame is not just another building. My prayer is that the people of France will remember why it was built. The country has become more and more secular to the point where Christianity is just another word in their lexicon. I hope they will look at those incredible stained glass windows and remember that they are not just beautiful but that they represent an event from the Bible. We need to remember that when the Cathedral was being built Bibles were hand written so only the very rich could ever hope to own one. Add to that the fact that only a small percentage of the population was literate and able to read the Bible. Yet, and I can’t stress this enough, men worked tirelessly for 200 years to build Notre Dame and all for the glory of God!
Today approximately 63% of the French people claim to be Christians but only about 5% actually attend church or have their faith dictate their life decisions. Thus, most people consider France to be a secular country. I pray that this tragic event will lead the French people back to God as they remember why this incredible piece of architecture was built.