For 800 years the people of France gave the world a great gift. For 800 years countless millions experienced its transcendent beauty. Then, in an afternoon, it was gone — gutted by fire. We watched it burn, and across the whole of Christendom men and women were surprised by the extent of their grief.
In the days and weeks that follows, people will share their stories about Notre Dame. Here’s mine. On March 9, 1996, I walked into the great cathedral on the morning of my wedding day. The gravity of the moment was starting to sink in, and I wanted a place to pray. We Protestants are accustomed to thinking of the great cathedrals of Europe mainly as tourist attractions — as beautiful historical buildings and not as actual, living churches. That morning changed my heart.
