Notre Dame: More than a Building

Today as I watched in shock and horror while the flames ravaged the roof of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, I tried to console myself with the words, "it's just a building." But that's not really true.

An album page from our 2002 visit that includes the spire

We visited Notre Dame when our four children ranged in age from nine to fourteen. We marveled at the gargoyles and flying buttresses. While studying French in Paris in 2007 I worshiped at the cathedral on the Sunday I arrived, gathering that evening with the faithful.

In the midst of this tragedy commentators are noting the architectural wonders of flying buttresses and a rib vault, the rose windows, all the unique and stunning elements set the cathedral apart. Much history has transpired within and around it, and it has survived previous difficulties, but nothing like this fire.

Tuning in towards the beginning of the blaze, I hoped the fire could be quenched quickly, but soon the beautiful spire toppled into the building below as enormous orange yellow clouds of smoke billowed into the air. Thankfully the 400 firefighters were able to save the main stone structure and the iconic front bell towers remain.

As I write this just hours after the incident, the future of Notre Dame Cathedral remains uncertain. The French President Macron has vowed to rebuild, and I hope this is possible. This landmark steadies the city as importantly as the Eiffel Tower, and has a more important purpose.

We can easily forget Notre Dame doesn't exist simply for tourists and history buffs or architect fans. A congregation uses this building, and this happened on the Monday of Holy Week. Just as when people lose the house they live in, Notre Dame serves as their spiritual home.

Often people say, "the church is not the building, it's the people." Accurate, but then, our body is not just a body, it is how we exist in the world, and a church building is how a congregation gathers in the community. The building serves as a reminder of faith, as a place to come for solace, and when it's a church like Notre Dame, even pilgrimage.

I am grateful that as of this writing, no lives were lost in this tragedy. Yet the loss of this spiritual and cultural icon looms large. I hope with President Macron, that like the Lord of this Cathedral, Notre Dame will rise again.