I was walking in a old church in Chimayo, New Mexico. The inside was dark and cool. The altar was lit by 100 candles, bathed in their amber glow. A single window invited the sunlight in. It was far removed from the beautiful hand carved, hand painted altar. I know a lot of love, care, faith and hard work was invested on that altar, but it's beauty could not compare with the warm illumination coming from the sun. It spoke of life, warmth, sight, and hope. The altar was man's attempt to recreate our perception of God and what his son, Jesus, stood for. The miracles, the humanity, and compassion that Christianity stands for were there on the altar. But that small ray of sunlight coming through that lone window was God's own image. It was translucent, all encompassing, life giving, a beacon to the sky. I took pictures of all the carved wooden saints, the ceramic figures, the long suffering crucifix, and the beautifully crafted altar. But my favorite photo was of the window and the silent sunlight coming through.
This was a beautiful church and even simple in a cluttered kind of way.
I have been in churches that are so big, metallic and technological that they have more in common with entertainment that with a house of faith. I have seen some churches that are so antiseptic, so industially effective, that they look like robot churches. And in the end, the buildings and how they look have nothing to do with the faith that the church goer have. They church may reflect the taste of the pastor, priest or minister who runs the church, but the faith of the person who sits and pray in that church is individual and a reflection of their inner heart.
Faith like sunlight is all encompassing, translucent, life giving and a beacon to heaven. We need to keep a window to our heart open so God can enter and illuminate the inside of our hearts.
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