There are seemingly countless impressive cathedrals and old churches in France. Even backwater type cities (hope none of their residents are reading this blog) can boast a Gothic masterpiece rising to the heavens from the center of town. I was in Beauvais today killing time as my significant other attended a business meeting (my latest career has been as his exclusive chauffeur - today we passed the 40 day mark with his right leg in a cast). Beauvais is best known as a low cost airport for Ryan-Air. It is out in the middle of nowhere and I am pretty sure that not many people outside of France have ever even heard of it, yet, it has an amazing 15th century cathedral. I wandered in today and read my school work showered in the refracted light of glimmering stained glass windows. Those workers of the Middle Ages sure knew how to throw up some awe- inspiring tributes to God. Today's visit was one of many such moments I have spent these last few years within the rising arches of one cathedral or another.
All this construction to Deity makes me ponder the significance of religion in our ancestors' lives. I mean, it obviously was a very big deal back then judging by the evidence left to us today. It is especially ironic in many ways that there are so many houses of worship in France considering what a secular country this is today. The French think that we Americans are absolutely crazy about religion and that the majority of us are anti evolutionists and thump our bibles regularly for fun.
But the Old World worshipers were the real fanatics. What drove them to such efforts? Was it really their faith? More probably it was their fear or, according to my very secular boyfriend, Cathedral construction in the Middle Ages was the equivalent of our public works projects of today. Where we may build a highway or a bridge or a spanking new dam - they built a massive Cathedral. What better way to keep the masses employed? And hopefully saved a few souls in the process.
So there you have it - a very mundane reason for all this ecclesiastical effort.
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