cathédrale notre-dame de paris
i attended vespers in april of 2015
but i never saw the view enjoyed by the gargoyles
unlike the man who stood on the roof
imagining

imagining it being
consummated
by flames unlike anything before
lit by one unseen
deliberate

deliberate deliberations
yes it was
not some errant spark
not some bad luck act of God
planned

planned and plotted
by someone curious
about whether it could be done
and whether he could get away with it
criminal

criminal creepings
obsession and action in the mind
preparation for evil in the midst of preparation for good
obstacles and frustration despite opportunity
persistence

persistence in the pursuit of evil is more damning
the fire at notre-dame 15 avril 2019
was arson
someone who cared more for himself than anything
selfish

selfish pursuit of pleasure
arrogant blindness to the value of what was built with love and sacrifice
hatred for its stability its shelter its beauty
a thief who prided himself on his choice of victim
choice

choice is the heart of the matter
in everything
but especially in matters of the heart
the destruction of the cathedral
symbolic

symbolic of the destruction of a marriage
for this reason allowed by God
in the land led by a president who said the scandal was spice
as if catching a married woman is some kind of entertainment
adultery

adultery is not trivial
do you understand what it is
it is a fire in a cathedral
destruction of what is holy
sin

sin is real
it has consequences
consider the cathedral as an illustration
shame on any civilization that excuses or glamorizes adultery
evil

evil is real
even when hidden
yet here is a striking symbol of its goals
evil seeks to destroy whatever is good
but

but here is another symbol
another lesson
the power of evil is limited
curbed by a loving God
always

always know
the story does not end where you think it does
‘it did not turn out how I expected’ says Tobit
the rose window and doors point to the future
hope