Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. Jeremiah 17:14
The previous two blog posts have highlighted the grand Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims which is located in the Champagne region of France. Its imposing structure has seen good times and bad: coronations of kings, healing between nations, as well as destruction due to wars and fires. It remains a testament to redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. Today we’ll explore another aspect of this Gothic cathedral.
Original construction on the cathedral was completed in the 14th century. Containing 2,303 statues, Reims Cathedral is the most sculptured religious building in France. Some of these statues are freestanding, while many are carved into the façade itself. Some portray French royalty while others depict scenes from the Bible. The original biblical scenes were created in colorful hued stones. While the colors have faded over time, the stories remain. The façade’s purpose was to teach biblical accounts to mostly illiterate townspeople. The people essentially read the Bible on the walls of Reims Cathedral.
As I reach the massive door to enter the cathedral, I notice a statue of an angel. Expecting his expression to be either commanding or perhaps simply serene, I am surprised to see an impish grin spread across his stone cheeks. I learn that this famous statue of the Archangel Michael is called L’Ange au Sourire or the Smiling Angel. Originally created in the 1200’s, the stonemason apparently had a sense of humor by carving a smile on the angel’s face. During the destruction of the cathedral during World War I, the angel’s head was shattered into many pieces. Miraculously, it was restored using the salvaged original pieces plus some new ones. I pause for a moment and wonder why he is smiling. What secrets lie behind his smile? As I turn to enter through the cathedral’s massive doorway, I feel the statue’s smile break the austerity of this monumental structure.
While the outside of the Reims Cathedral is busy with numerous arches, peaks, and sinister-looking gargoyles, the interior is quiet, cool, and peaceful. I sit in one of the many wooden chairs lined up in rows facing the altar. I’m thankful for a few minutes to sit in such a tranquil place. As I gaze upward, I realize that while the stone façade outside recounts biblical characters and their stories, the many stained-glass windows also depict scenes from the Scriptures. What was once colorful stories on the exterior are continued in the even more colorful windows as seen from the interior.
According to Dictionary.com, the word “façade” means “the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one.” But “façade” can also mean “a superficial appearance or illusion of something.” I wonder what stories our personal façades tell. Are we genuine or do we put on a smiling face, like the statue I had just seen, when we go to church and pretend everything is OK? Of course, we don’t want to gush to total strangers about our woes, but do we allow our friends and other caring people in our lives to see the cracks in the façade? Do we allow the light of their concern and love help heal those broken places? It takes courage to be real and there is a fine line to walk between being authentic and being overly needy. But being genuine and genuinely caring towards others creates space for others to be real, too. Only when we can admit our brokenness and struggles can we begin to heal.
In our key verse, Jeremiah prays to God to heal him of his sins, to save him in the here and now as well as eternally. His plea ends in praise for he knows God will answer the prayer of a contrite person.
We are all broken in some way and are each a work in progress. Like those broken and now-restored exterior walls of Reims Cathedral, we don’t have to put up a façade of perfect Christianity. God can begin the process of “reconstruction” when we admit we don’t have it all together, when we humble ourselves at the foot of the Cross, and sincerely ask for His help. We are indeed redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and reconciled and restored in our relationship to God. Perhaps that’s the secret of the Smiling Angel: to find joy in knowing that what is broken will ultimately be restored by the hand of God. Perhaps, at the sight of redeemed, reconciled, and restored people, maybe more than Archangel Michael will be smiling. Perhaps even God Himself.
Lord, heal me of my brokenness and my tendency to selfishly go my own way without You. Restore me into right relationship with You. I thank You and praise You for the reconstruction work You are doing and will continue to do in me. May I find hope and joy in the healing process. Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photographs copyright © 2019 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Smiling Angel statue at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
David and Goliath in the Reims Cathedral façade:
The previous two blog posts have highlighted the grand Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims which is located in the Champagne region of France. Its imposing structure has seen good times and bad: coronations of kings, healing between nations, as well as destruction due to wars and fires. It remains a testament to redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. Today we’ll explore another aspect of this Gothic cathedral.
Original construction on the cathedral was completed in the 14th century. Containing 2,303 statues, Reims Cathedral is the most sculptured religious building in France. Some of these statues are freestanding, while many are carved into the façade itself. Some portray French royalty while others depict scenes from the Bible. The original biblical scenes were created in colorful hued stones. While the colors have faded over time, the stories remain. The façade’s purpose was to teach biblical accounts to mostly illiterate townspeople. The people essentially read the Bible on the walls of Reims Cathedral.
As I reach the massive door to enter the cathedral, I notice a statue of an angel. Expecting his expression to be either commanding or perhaps simply serene, I am surprised to see an impish grin spread across his stone cheeks. I learn that this famous statue of the Archangel Michael is called L’Ange au Sourire or the Smiling Angel. Originally created in the 1200’s, the stonemason apparently had a sense of humor by carving a smile on the angel’s face. During the destruction of the cathedral during World War I, the angel’s head was shattered into many pieces. Miraculously, it was restored using the salvaged original pieces plus some new ones. I pause for a moment and wonder why he is smiling. What secrets lie behind his smile? As I turn to enter through the cathedral’s massive doorway, I feel the statue’s smile break the austerity of this monumental structure.
While the outside of the Reims Cathedral is busy with numerous arches, peaks, and sinister-looking gargoyles, the interior is quiet, cool, and peaceful. I sit in one of the many wooden chairs lined up in rows facing the altar. I’m thankful for a few minutes to sit in such a tranquil place. As I gaze upward, I realize that while the stone façade outside recounts biblical characters and their stories, the many stained-glass windows also depict scenes from the Scriptures. What was once colorful stories on the exterior are continued in the even more colorful windows as seen from the interior.
According to Dictionary.com, the word “façade” means “the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one.” But “façade” can also mean “a superficial appearance or illusion of something.” I wonder what stories our personal façades tell. Are we genuine or do we put on a smiling face, like the statue I had just seen, when we go to church and pretend everything is OK? Of course, we don’t want to gush to total strangers about our woes, but do we allow our friends and other caring people in our lives to see the cracks in the façade? Do we allow the light of their concern and love help heal those broken places? It takes courage to be real and there is a fine line to walk between being authentic and being overly needy. But being genuine and genuinely caring towards others creates space for others to be real, too. Only when we can admit our brokenness and struggles can we begin to heal.
In our key verse, Jeremiah prays to God to heal him of his sins, to save him in the here and now as well as eternally. His plea ends in praise for he knows God will answer the prayer of a contrite person.
We are all broken in some way and are each a work in progress. Like those broken and now-restored exterior walls of Reims Cathedral, we don’t have to put up a façade of perfect Christianity. God can begin the process of “reconstruction” when we admit we don’t have it all together, when we humble ourselves at the foot of the Cross, and sincerely ask for His help. We are indeed redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and reconciled and restored in our relationship to God. Perhaps that’s the secret of the Smiling Angel: to find joy in knowing that what is broken will ultimately be restored by the hand of God. Perhaps, at the sight of redeemed, reconciled, and restored people, maybe more than Archangel Michael will be smiling. Perhaps even God Himself.
Lord, heal me of my brokenness and my tendency to selfishly go my own way without You. Restore me into right relationship with You. I thank You and praise You for the reconstruction work You are doing and will continue to do in me. May I find hope and joy in the healing process. Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photographs copyright © 2019 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Smiling Angel statue at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
David and Goliath in the Reims Cathedral façade:
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, France :
RSS Feed