Thursday, April 18, 2019

What Are Our Priorities?

"What after all are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchers of God?"

Friedrich Nietzsche

(Philippe Wang/Getty Images)

The Cathedral at Notre Dame should be rebuilt. As a preservationist and someone with a genuine interest in history its imperative that the architects tasked with this job make every effort possible to restore this Gothic monument to its former glory. This isn't controversial. There are iconic structures throughout the world that should be preserved for future generations. 

What's controversial about the billion plus dollars raised is how the restoration of an inanimate object has been more of a unifying factor than the suffering of flesh and blood people. This isn't an either or proposition. We can do both, but we should start with our neighbors. No society can call itself just while the people suffer. 

As we celebrate this Easter we should put the suffering of the very people Jesus died for at the top of our to do list. Too many offer lip service to the plight of poor people. We are ignoring and shunning the very people we should be helping.