Look up, look around; ornate decor in view
Carved wood, guided in gold
Intricate designs abound
Grand paintings and statues too
All pay tribute to Jesus, the Virgin and saints too
How grand, how wonderful
This work has withstood the ages
I can't help but wonder,
how much did this cost?
Gold consumes the ceiling; paintings too many to count.
Where could this money have gone?
To help the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked?
House the homeless, educate children, aid the widow and orphan?
But, who am I to speak?
Dropping doe on this vacation,
Spending on a tattoo to pay tribute to God.
I am the most frivolous of spenders.
And, what have I left my God?
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| 17th Century Chapel of the Rosario in Church of Santo Domingo. Puebla, MX |
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time in central Mexico with my family. This trip was planned last year, long before I found out that I would be going to Mexico for a year. Thus, it was an ironic coincidence - or maybe a message from God - that we traveled to the same area to which I will be returning in a few months. In any case, while we were in Mexico we saw some stunning colonial cathedrals, including the one above. The Chapel of the Rosario is dressed in intricate wood carvings that are guided in gold. The view is breath-taking, but also deeply troubling. This view sparked this poem.
I think it is common - especially for American Protestants that are used to having worship in very simple buildings, even warehouses - to see such an ornate church, and be disgusted. We think that this money could have been put to better use. For instance, it could have been used to help the poor. While I do still agree with this critique, I also wanted to adopt another perspective on this ornate cathedral.
American Protestant Christians may not have too many elaborate cathedrals or churches, but we do elicit God's name for other things. We have many pursuits that are no less vain than building vast cathedrals. For instance, I have elicited God's name in the past before Cross Country meets or other sporting events, dedicating my performance to "God's glory." This is not to say that this is wrong, but rather to point out the fact that I have no room to judge. I have elicited God's name for vain things, and I have spent money in vain ways in God's name when it could have been used to serve others. After all, the churches built in colonial Mexico and other places around the world, though not necessary, have left a legacy of Christendom. This legacy may be mired by colonialism, crusades, the inquisition, etc., but it also represents Christ's loving sacrifice and his followers dedication to faith in him. If these antiquated cathedrals continue to survive the test of time, they may leave a testimony to our faith and to Christ's work centuries, or even millennia, from now when other acts for God have long been forgotten. These cathedrals could impart the same legacy on the future that the ruins of Teotihuacan, the Mayans and Aztecs have imparted on us today.
Our vanities may differ between time and place. But, we are united by the God behind these creations and actions. This God is love. God calls us to love him and one another. Though we will have distractions in our life [which are not always bad], we must remember to love God and neighbor. The true follower of Christ will be noted by his love for others.
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