The world is full of famous, picturesque cathedrals – La Sagrada Familia, Cathedral Notre Dame, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and St. Peter’s Basilica to name a few. I have been to many cathedrals and am uplifted by the reverence I feel when I am in those buildings. Those edifices were engineered and built by people who spent enormous amounts of time and energy to create something that is evidence of their devotion to God. I think that it is easy to overlook the beautiful cathedrals and other religious buildings that are in our own backyards so-to-speak. We have lived in Minnesota for almost 29 years now and it wasn’t until just recently that I finally visited the beautiful Cathedral of St. Paul. I was deeply touched while I was there by seeing others worship God as they entered the cathedral. A man came in and crossed himself, one woman put on a head covering to show her respect. Other individuals were just sitting quietly. I felt a connection with those people because we all had something in common. We all revere God. As I have been in cathedrals it is not unusual for me to say a silent prayer. I am spiritually nurtured by entering cathedrals even if they are cathedrals from faiths that have different tenets than my own. A house dedicated to God is a house of God no matter what the beliefs of the people who built it.
Belief and faith in God or a higher power is something that I feel connects people no matter what their beliefs are. There is so much division and contention in the world. Faith is something that can pull us together as we respect each other’s beliefs and encourage one another in practicing religion.
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