I have always been completely fascinated by stained glass windows. The church I grew up in had beautiful stained glass throughout the building. I can remember a few times when I had the pleasure of being alone in the sanctuary and sitting cross legged on the red carpet with all of the beautiful colors of the windows falling around me and just being still and quiet. Somehow, the warmpth of that light always made me feel just a little closer to God. I can't get over the thought of the peasant of centuries ago, whose life was dull and drab, entering a church and marveling at the beauty of the light pouring through similiar windows. It must have felt like a bit of heaven on earth to them. These days, that experience is a little harder to come by. Many of the churches in the south, were built in a different age. Though some have stained glass, it is hard to find the magesty of the windows I knew up north. Those churches who can afford such a luxury down here often place all of their windows so far from the ground that you can't really experience them as closely. Many churches prefer nice stone facades or impressive artwork on the walls to stained glass, and their budgets at the time of building reflect that. I think today, with our multi-colored tech-filled lives, often we miss the beauty of simpler things; things that were truely treasured generations ago, and no where is that thought more obvious to me than while standing in the light of a beautiful stained glass window.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Stained Glass
I have always been completely fascinated by stained glass windows. The church I grew up in had beautiful stained glass throughout the building. I can remember a few times when I had the pleasure of being alone in the sanctuary and sitting cross legged on the red carpet with all of the beautiful colors of the windows falling around me and just being still and quiet. Somehow, the warmpth of that light always made me feel just a little closer to God. I can't get over the thought of the peasant of centuries ago, whose life was dull and drab, entering a church and marveling at the beauty of the light pouring through similiar windows. It must have felt like a bit of heaven on earth to them. These days, that experience is a little harder to come by. Many of the churches in the south, were built in a different age. Though some have stained glass, it is hard to find the magesty of the windows I knew up north. Those churches who can afford such a luxury down here often place all of their windows so far from the ground that you can't really experience them as closely. Many churches prefer nice stone facades or impressive artwork on the walls to stained glass, and their budgets at the time of building reflect that. I think today, with our multi-colored tech-filled lives, often we miss the beauty of simpler things; things that were truely treasured generations ago, and no where is that thought more obvious to me than while standing in the light of a beautiful stained glass window.
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