Friends,
There are places in this world that are beautiful because God made them beautiful—think Yosemite, or an unspoiled Caribbean beach. There also are buildings made by humans that are wonderful—and would be wonderful regardless of where they were set, and here I’ll mention the Eiffel Tower and the Montclair branch of the Oakland Public Library because they both share a birthday with Montclair Presbyterian Church (I’d mention the Parthenon and the Salisbury Cathedral, but I don’t know the anniversary of their respective dedications). Then, there are places where both God’s creation and the genius of human architecture come together in ways that I find deeply moving.
San Francisco is a good example of what it looks like when people build buildings and bridges that match the created landscape, as is Mendocino (of course, on that I’m prejudiced because Mendocino is my home town, but never let it be said that for me, when it comes to my home town, familiarity has bread contempt). As much as I love both San Francisco and Mendocino, the most powerful example of this that I have experienced in my travels is around Lake Como, in Northern Italy, near where my great-grand parents (on my step-father’s side) were born. Somehow the people building cities such as Bellagio and Rezzonico knew how build settlements that developed in harmony with the mountains and lakes that were all around them, a practice that was emulated by wealthy and royal newcomers who, in later years (by which I mean during the 18 and 19th century) built impressive villas around the lake.
It seems to me that places like Lake Como, and San Francisco and Mendocino provide a nice metaphor for the spiritual life. As persons of faith we are seeking to build lives that live in harmony with God’s created order. I mean this ecologically, of course, and I also mean this socially and economically and artistically, but I’m also talking about the ways we shape our souls to match the contours of Spirit.
During Holy Week, as we remember Jesus triumphal entry, his passion, death and resurrection we are given templates for the work of building spiritual lives that live in harmony with God’s created order. Palm Sunday and the subsequent days of teaching show us how to live in the prime of our lives; the last supper shows us the importance of intimacy as we walk into the shadowlands of betrayal; the passion and crucifixion teach us about faithful sacrifice, and they assure us of God’s empathy and love as we face struggles of our own, and the resurrection is a promise that in all things, God writes the final chapter in the story of our lives, and in the end, the sun rises after the darkest night, and the warmth and color of spring follows the cold winter, hope casts out fear and in all things love abides.
Wishing You God’s Peace for Holy Week,
Ben