If These Walls Could Speak

We had a very thought-provoking message in church today. The minister decided to talk about the physical structure and architecture of the church building. Brave of him, because he's just in his 2nd week as senior minister of the church, and most of the churchgoers have been around longer than he's been alive! He decided to speak on this topic to remind the congregation that the message of hope, truth, salvation and grace is practically shouting from these walls at us all the time.

It was interesting to hear how much symbolism is built into the DC church, which started out as a Presbyterian congregation. The church was built in 1914. I learnt that the 2 sections of 6 pillars holding up 7 arches represented how God's work of creation was done in 6 days, and the 7th and tallest arch represented the importance of the Sabbath. What struck me most was the deciphering of the central dome of the church, which also capped the ceiling of the sanctuary. Within that dome, we could see one focal circle, surrounded by a pattern of circles and squares. Directly below the dome would be the squared shaped sanctuary with the pews, pulpit and organ. He explained that in medieval church architecture, God and heaven are represented by the circle shape, whereas our world is represented by the square shape (since there were 4 rivers flowing out of Eden).

I reflected on this for a while, and was reminded of a truth that I often have to relearn. How often do I try to put God in the box of my world and try to understand Him on earthly terms? When I do that, I find that there are always unfillable gaps and a nagging dissatisfaction (see (i)) - because I have made Him too small. But when I allow Him to be sovereign over every part of my world and life, I find that He is bigger than I could have ever hoped, imagined or asked (see (ii)). How wonderfully comforting to know that life is truly quite simple and exceedingly abundant! Really, if the walls could speak, what truths would uplift our spirits each day...