New Church

I went to this amazingly beautiful church the other day. It's fairly new but they built it to look really old. Way cool fact, they built it out of a special kind of rock that is self-cleaning. Unlike the other places like the Louvre or Notre Dame where they have to clean it with lasers every few years, this church cleans itself every time it rains.

Everything is beautiful but it was a little strange. Walking up to the church there were all these shows. People performing, bands playing, break dancing, yoyos, a guy with guitar playing beatles songs, etc. All the way up the hill I encountered various productions, people doing something, anything really, for money. It felt odd but I couldn't immediately put my finger on why I thought it was off.

This is the New Orleans style band that was playing at the bottom of the hill. Anyways, so I go in the church and even it feels a little off. It's not just an old church that isn't being used, it's new with regular services and even a big 'thank you' booth to everyone who gave contributions to help them build this new 'campus'. Then there was the fairly large gift shop...and then the smaller version of the gift shop.

As I was leaving the church I realized what felt so off. Right before you went outside they had some of those coin press machines. You know the kind you find at amusement parks or the state fair where you put in 75 cents and a penny and then it will press the penny into a picture? Yes, they had several of those. You could get the pope, a picture of the church or various other things.

That's when the story came to mind of the temple and the money changers. I think it was probably similar to this when He turned over those tables. It all felt a little wrong. I mean, I know this is Paris and there are a million tourists, but I feel like compromising religion and turning the church into a show for money is somehow not right. And then that led me to thinking about the church in America...let's just not go there.

This guy above, he was amazing. I might would have even given him some money had he chosen another tourist hotspot. He was on top of a concrete pillar about 6 feet off the ground doing tricks with a soccer ball. If he fell he was either going down a precariously steep hill or into the street and he was doing amazing things like handstands and jumps and stuff. He was really good, I was way impressed.

So that's the new/old church. Beautiful and yet somehow tainted.