This cathedral stood on the corner like an oasis in a desert.
My family and I took a recent day trip to the city of Savannah. I lived there once upon a time, but that’s been close to twenty years ago. We wandered around River Street like tourists and then we hit the squares. My son was particularly interested in the bench where Tom Hanks sat in the filming of “Forest Gump.”
It was a hundred degrees in the shade that day, and we were thirsty, tired, and sweating profusely. This magnolia was wilting fast. Needless to say, I had two very cranky teens at this point, who had begun sniping at each other. You know how it is with siblings; when the going gets tough, they turn on each other.
Like a beautiful oasis, this church popped into site. It is a gorgeous church. It’s called the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Like most everything else in Savannah, it has a history. The original church was started in the late 1700’s by immigrants fleeing from France and Haiti. In 1835, a brick church was built. It sustained hurricane damage in 1850 and was repaired. The original structure seated a thousand people.
The congregation moved and built a new structure in 1873. It burned in 1898 and was re-built immediately. The first mass in the new building was held, fittingly, 0n December 24, 1899. And now, over a hundred years later, it stands like a beacon on the streets of Savannah.
My teens stopped arguing with each other when they saw it. My son wondered if we could go inside. We saw some people coming out, so we ventured in.
We were met with the cool blast of air conditioning. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was at that particular moment. But, isn’t that always the case when we encounter God after a long journey? Leaning into Him feels so restful and refreshing.
The beauty of the cathedral was breathtaking.
The beauty of the cathedral was breathtaking.
There was mostly silence, even from my crowd, and the people who were speaking were whispering. There were people praying and people lighting candles. There was a quiet reverence for the majesty that stood before us and the One who people come to worship there, week after week.
The sense of peace and quiet inside was almost tangible. My kids sat down in a pew with their dad, silently. I thought of all of the people who had worshiped there over the past hundred years and of the ones before, who worshiped together before they had this incredible building.
Now I know that God is everywhere and we can hold a worship service in the grocery store parking lot. But, there’s something awe-inspiring and deeply spiritual about old, ornate churches. There’s something about the quiet respect that used to be required in God’s house when I was growing up. There’s something special about buildings and congregations that have stood the test of time. I wasn’t the only one who could feel it. The quiet from all who were there, was proof.
We reluctantly left and entered back into the outdoor furnace, thankful and refreshed. We were glad we stopped. My teens even spoke more kindly to each other. (for a little while)
I think that’s how we are supposed to feel when we leave church; awe inspired and refreshed, eager to carry our light into the world. We definitely felt that way on that day. I pray that people feel that way when they leave my home church.
What do you think about spiritual places? I’d love to hear from you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂