Guests in the House of God (731 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 2 on 20 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by silent_brook <silent_brook.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2006-05-23 13:04:36 EDT
"To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms; this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the rank of devoutly religious men."--Albert Einstein
Teenage daughters are already at a disadvantage at leaving in a timely fashion; add to that bad attitude and a feminist streak, and we would be lucky to leave before noon. I had perhaps gone too far in treating my daughter as a companion, but since her mother's death, it was hard to treat her like a child.
"It doesn't seem sexist to you?" She accused for the eight or ninth time, I had stopped counting.
"No, because they wouldn't let me in wearing that either."
"I don't want to change."
"Then we can't go." I didn't order her about; I simply gave her the facts. "Do you really want to waste this opportunity? You aren't likely to have another one for years."
"Fine!" She left the room throwing up her hands and muttering something about the oppressive patriarchy of western society. I had not taught her that. I agree that women should be treated fairly, but the militant feminist routine had come from her mother. Sometimes I think she holds to the philosophy so strongly because it is one of the few things my wife was able to give her. However, I never shared that suspicion with her.
She returned wearing something far more sensible; for her down right conservative. I almost didn't want to tell her, to walk right up to the doors and look shocked when they barred our entrance. I sighed instead.
"Honey, you have to have sleeves. They'll still turn us away if you wear that."
"I have sleeves." She defended.
"Long sleeves, Kelly."
"Shit! It's hot out there." She whined.
"I know, don't curse, and there nothing for it." She turned around once more, exasperated, and reaffirmed the androcratic despotism that women were forced to live with. I returned to my newspaper; it was easier to understand—even in Italian.
She came out, looking at me for approval, and when I didn't immediately nod she defended her clothes—or derided them, depending on how you choose to look at it.
"This is the closest thing to Quaker-wear I have." I tried very hard not to laugh, and mostly succeeded.
"That will do fine. Are you ready?" She was, and so we went.
We had taken a cab to within a few blocks. I wanted to walk. Out of respect for history and the spectacle's dramatic crafting, I led us to approach from the side; to get however weakened a glimpse of what the original visitors might have experienced. The close streets of Rome hampered our travel, and cut us off from the rest of the world, there was nothing beyond what we could see: the buildings on each side, the narrow expanse of blue above.
"Are we lost?" She'd love this. Everyone should experience it like this the first time, and they would have had to, had Mussolini not destroyed the brilliance by building his highway. I suppose it would have happened sooner of later, but I credit that as his greatest crime, far and above the atrocities of Italian Fascism.
"No, we're not lost. Look ahead." There, out of the maze of streets that hemmed in our path, stood a massive, polystyle walkway; stretching beyond view in each direction. Across the street and under the columns we stood a moment in the shadowed colonnade, staring out at the bright indistinct blur. Then we stepped into Bernini's Piazza, and the sudden dazzling light and vast empty space stole away our breath, just as the effect had been intended.
"Wow." She whispered. I wholeheartedly agreed.
"Come on." We walked across that seemingly endless expanse of The Piazza. I would like to say that we stood out, Kelly, in her punkish clothes, and me, dressed all in black, but we did not. We were just another couple of tourists among the urbicarian mass, collected from all over the world and filled with pilgrims, dignitaries, priests, and tourists, all journeying to the same spot: St. Peter's Basilica.
We climbed the stairs and I reminded Kelly once more that she should be courteous and respectful to everyone, and not to laugh at the Swiss Guard's uniforms. I felt if they could wear them with due seriousness, the least we could do is not laugh at them for it. I suspected, above all other things, that would be a challenge for her, and I understood why, they were astoundingly ridiculous.
We entered, and once more, we were returned to the darkness of Rome. I could see the great form of The Baldacchino. We walked toward it, but I stopped about halfway there. Kelly walked a few feet beyond before realizing I was no longer beside her.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I'll be along. You go ahead." She shrugged her shoulders, and carried on toward the massive work. I closed my eyes, and raised my face to the ceiling; listening to the sound of so many people around me; breathing the incensed air. I don't know how long I was standing there, but it must have been longer than a moment.
"Signore?" I opened my eyes and turned to a young priest. He couldn't have been a day over twenty five.
"Hello."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. How are you?" I must have confused him, because he didn't immediately answer.
"Good..." He stammered after a moment, "I am good."
"My name is Jonathon, what's yours?"
"Alberto."
"I was just, standing here, marveling at it all." I gestured around me, encompassing the whole scene.
"It is an awesome place." He responded, referring to the church, using awesome in its original and Biblical sense.
"I think it wonderful that so many people would travel so far to see this place; wonderful that it exists in the first place."
"It is the center of Christendom," Alberto said only a little arrogantly, "it is only natural it would receive a great many visitors." He was young; even among priests the young must outgrow their youth. "People come here to commune with God."
"That's not why people come," I contradicted him kindly, "they come because this place, far more than any other still extant, encompasses the human spirit; the indomitable will to know. We build great cathedrals, and devote uncounted hours to the beautification of the same, but to commune with God all we need do is stop and listen and think. We build places like this to celebrate our existence, and to cry out to the antipathetic universe that we exist."
My friend, Aberto, did not immediately respond. I didn't know if he was silent in contemplation or out of a desire not to say what he thought about my little speech, but then he did speak.
"Do you think that God does not live here?"
"I haven't a doubt He does. In the same way he lives everywhere. The entire world would serve nicely as a church, and there would be no need for temples of stone, or vast spaces dedicated to God. It would serve, but humans have never been content with functionality alone. From the first moment man thought, we thought of ways to make the world a brighter place. Men are happier when their world is beautiful as well as functional. Even the Bahausian ideal of form and function included both, regardless of the order. The world is a church, Alberto, each plant, animal, and inanimate form one more holy vessel for the spirit of God to touch the spirit of man." I watched my daughter walk toward us; she had gone to The Chair of St. Peter at the other end and was almost back.
"Sir," Alberto asked timidly, "I hope you don't think it rude, but are you a Christian." I closed my eyes and raised my face to the ceiling once more, and then asked as my beautiful, headstrong daughter began closing that last distance:
"Does it matter?" He looked at me a moment, uncertain. Then he smiled a genuine good-natured smile. I returned it in kind.
"No." He responded quietly, "No, I don't suppose it does." He smiled once more, turned and walked away.
"What was that about?" Kelly asked after a moment.
"Nothing important, just two visitors admiring the wonder of the place they're visiting."
"The church?"
"The Church." I put my arm around her, and we began walking toward the Sistine Chapel and its embowered treasures, the gift once more to look up at the top of the world, and see God smiling down. Knowing that no matter the face, a smile is welcome.
User Reviews
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2006-05-24 14:04:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Flying_buttmonkey (user info) at 2006-05-24 07:35:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
First one I've bothered to rate today. Very nicely done
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2006-05-24 06:38:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Faultless.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-05-24 00:05:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2006-05-23 16:35:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice, very enjoyable. Thank you
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-05-23 16:01:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2006-05-23 15:08:55 (#)
Ranking: 2
Meh. It's no DaVinci Code but it's alright, I guess. If you're into this kind of thing.
Personally, I think it needs more albinos and murderous Christian sub-cults.
And Tom Hanks with really bad hair.
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my thoughts exactly!!
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2006-05-23 15:48:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:33:36 (#)
Ranking: 2
This post is an oasis from a storm of virtual shit.
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2006-05-23 15:13:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice. It is awe inspiring to see... even if you don't 'do' the whole god thing.
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2006-05-23 15:08:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Meh. It's no DaVinci Code but it's alright, I guess. If you're into this kind of thing.
Personally, I think it needs more albinos and murderous Christian sub-cults.
And Tom Hanks with really bad hair.
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-05-23 15:01:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Doodles (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:22:16 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:11:04 (#)
Ranking: 2
best read today...
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-05-23 14:36:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeassir.
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-05-23 14:27:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
and now for the first time in my life i have a desire to go to rome.
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2006-05-23 14:18:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I rather liked this. Extra points for writing about religion in a way that is not terribly likely to piss anyone off.
Submitted by G-prime (user info) at 2006-05-23 14:18:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:33:36 (#)
Ranking: 2
This post is an oasis from a storm of virtual shit.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:56:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Submitted by kthsgoodgrl (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:50:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Beautifully written.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:33:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This post is an oasis from a storm of virtual shit.
Submitted by MonkeyingAround (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:32:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You have an uncanny way to make other relate to something they have no idea they could. Absolutely wonderful
Submitted by Doodles (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:22:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:11:04 (#)
Ranking: 2
best read today...
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-05-23 13:11:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
best read today...