St Antoine Greek Catholic Church in Beirut was standing, seemingly not quite alive. On a small busy street, most passed without notice. I paused and wondered. What was it like before the destructive blast? What was the congregation like now? What impact did this church make on its community? So many questions bubbling within me on a quiet morning.
As the memories of passing this church resurface today, I find myself wondering how relevant any faith system house of worship is to the non-believer. What impact does the building have on its community?
I am reluctant to speak for anyone other than myself. Even as I remember faith houses as the past, some great, others small, each served a purpose. To me, they were human monuments to what a community aspired to believe. The Hindu temple dedicated to Hanuman, with a vada necklace around the godly image’s neck numbering in the thousands. Saint Francis of Assisi’s church with its serene humbleness on the hill overlooking the plain. It was never the building that left its mark, it was always a reference and pointer. Each centre, in a unique way, pointed to individuals who believed in something greater than themselves.
Divinity uses everything and anything to remind us there is more. As flawed, incomplete, or awesome as any one of them might seem, I find each reminding me of something greater than what I think I see. “Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together: Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can’t get around. But the stone is me! If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me on the way, not in the way.” (Romans 9.33)
Divinity is revealed in the actions of her children. I find the label believers to be misleading. When love is revealed it action, I experience it. Physically, emotionally, and will all my senses, I know it is real. As I am unconditionally accepted, I rediscover Hope. When I am forgiven, my soul’s restoration begins. Divine revelations delivered by Divine collaborators.
