One million tourists per month.
A great cultural treasure. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Artwork. Holy objects. Stained glass windows.
President Macron declared a "national emergency."
It's cornerstone laid in 1163 AD, Notre Dame became a symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.
This is a marvel of architecture from the 12th and 13th centuries, when buttresses were needed to keep tall buildings upright. Many cathedrals were built during the Middle Ages in Europe by exceptional architects and wealthy financiers.
In old Jerusalem, Solomon's temple was a holy building to the Jews. It was destroyed by the Babylonians, and its successor by the Romans.
Under the New Covenant, our bodies are the temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Jesus never said, find him in a building. Rather, For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them. - Matt. 18:20 NIV.
In 1948, we awoke one Sunday in January to learn that our large, 1800s church was on fire. Fire hydrants were frozen.
Like the spire of Notre Dame, our bell tower collapsed into the rubble. Smoke rose from the ashes for three weeks.
Jesus was not there. He was in the faithful who started over, and packed out the new building during the 1950s, before the jobs left town. Our symbol: a large cross up front.
Tomorrow: If you have the courage,
we'll tell you about Notre Dame's gargoyles and chimeras.
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