Tell the story, use words if you must

Yesterday we visited the Basilica (cathedral) of Barcelona, dedicated to Saint Eulalia, who was martyred at thirteen years of age!!! for her faith. The cathedral is, of course, gorgeous, stunning and a must-see. What really impressed us, however, was the way that the Catholics were able to tell the story of the faith through the arts; the stories of not only Jesus, the disciples, Mary & Joseph, but also those who cared enough about their faith to willingly die for it. I realized that the reason Catholicism spread so rapidly throughout indigenous cultures ( putting aside the additional reality of forced conversion or martyrdom..) was because they were able to communicate a powerful story through images to the illiterate or to those who spoke a different language. Although I did not know some of the stories behind those altar paintings, I could infer their meaning. When I was able to discern the meaning through the painting or artwork, I felt closer to it. One of the things I have always admired about Catholicism is their use of all of the senses in worship; the powerful images, the smells of the censur, the bells at just the right pitch, the visual beauty of the robes and stoles.

I wondered as I gazed upon image after image, story after story, how do Unitarian Universalists tell their story visually? My stepdaughter has been involved in the Living Walls project in Atlanta, GA-- where artists take over a huge blank wall (with permission from said owner of the wall) and create something magnificent in the form of a mural/art-work project. What if we Unitarian Universalists created a huge mural on a blank wall in downtown Cleveland that depicted our faith? Who would be in it? What would the great stories be? Would our church play a role?? I am having fun imagining what a wall of faith would look like.

On a lighter note, for all those who may wonder if I have used my Spanish during this trip, I can say that I have!! When I called out to the waiter to receive the check, I said "cuarenta por favor??" he looked at me as if to say...what??? My friends who spoke Spanish could not contain their laughter. I had shouted out "Forty, please!!" instead of "cuenta!!!, or, check, please! So much for my ten weeks of Spanish.