Tag Archives: Montreal

Loss and Hope

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Croatia 417

Why do so many grieve over an ancient building being partially destroyed by fire. A building which survived world wars and political upheavals for centuries…not to mention the structure took over two centuries to complete!

Because it is Art.

Because it represents people…a nation…a world view.

Not all will mourn because of faith or political reasons which saddens me.

I am a Christian, but had this been The Dome of the Rock or some other significant religious building, I would still be sad due to the destruction.

Man creates, but he copies God’s plans. After all, it is He who gave the mind to man.

Not only the mind, but the heart, the drive, and the penetrating zeal to create.

Notre Dame was one of these creations. There are so many more.

I have not been to Paris, but have seen the replica of this great edifice in Montreal, Canada. From the exterior, the two look remarkably alike. The interiors differ.

Unfortunately, less than a year ago, a virus wiped away well over a thousand photos of which one folder contained images of Montreal’s Notre Dame. I have the memory, of course. As the French say, “C’est la vie”.

Below is the interior of the alter area of the Montreal structure. I copied it to another file.

So, to my French friends, I say ” Adieu”.  The building will be restored, as I hope so will your faith.

Canada 036

Harmony

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Montreal Church & High Rise

Welcome.. I chose this photograph of a part of downtown Montreal while visiting a few years ago. The variance from this modern glass-paneled high rise to that of the old stone church initially struck me as out of place due to the proximity of the old and new so close together. Actually, there are several old churches dotting the modern Montreal landscape. There is also an entire historic section of the city referred to as Old Montreal. I like the preservation of the historic contrasting with the contemporary. There is a sense of cohesiveness associated with this dynamic.

The young and the old peacefully co-existing can be applied to people, as well. So can folks of different ethnicity, skin color, language, tradition, religion, cuisine, celebrations, holidays, etc. When people get it right and see diversity as a strength rather than being fearful of it, living together can actually be a pleasant experience for all. I acknowledge that melding together in this era is especially difficult due to the violence of a few who negatively affect so many.

Nevertheless, may we all strive for a piece of Harmony among one another. This is how our world was originally created. Pray that it will continue to be moving forward. Thanks, and enjoy today, tomorrow, being alive and loving what is good and discarding what isn’t. There is too much beauty in our world to be wasted on negatives.