Much Ado About an Ancient Cathedral

Last week, alerted by my daughter to the fact that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was on fire, I watched in horror with the rest of the world as an 850+ year old building--a bastion of French faith and historical identity--burned.  What a helpless feeling!  Although no one was killed or seriously injured, I watched with the same hopeless feeling that I had when the Twin Towers in New York came down.  I thought that all was lost.  I was wrong.

Much of the building was destroyed, but much was also saved.  The iconic spire came down.  The internal roof came down.  But the irreplaceable stained glass windows were spared.  Some of the priceless artifacts also were saved.  France was hurt watching their treasured cathedral burn, and so was the rest of the world.

Shortly thereafter, some French millionaires pledged millions apiece to help rebuild/restore the cathedral.  The final tally was $1 billion or more.  I think it will take at least that.  No tax monies were used or pledged, according to my information.  And now the fun begins.

There are objections to the fact that "people" are willing to give that much to restore a building, yet there are causes and hungry people whose poverty and needs would be taken care of for less.  It is a shame, for sure.  And yet, if the money were yours, shouldn't you be able to decide how to spend it??

Judas Iscariot complained to Jesus that Mary Magdalene was "wasting" expensive ointments on washing Jesus' feet when the money for those ointments could bring in funds to feed the poor.  Jesus said, paraphrasing, that there would always be poor but that he wouldn't be around that much longer.  His message was that priorities are necessary.  I think that applies now.

There is a building in France that is ancient and wonderful.  It is a source of faith, identity, and comfort.  Part of it--a big part--burned.  People of means pledged mega-bucks to repair the damage.  The rest of us just need to say thank you and carry on.  Notre Dame de Paris--Our Lady of Paris--is just as much a part of France as the Statue of Liberty is to the US.

May God bless whatever fund-raising happens to restore the cathedral, even if the rest of the world is outraged.  I guess my question would be...do you want this place to lay fallow and untouched due to lack of funds to fix it?  If so, history will not treat you as well as the 850-year history of this magnificent building!