“I am the Church, You are the Church” (Avery/Marsh 1972)
Today found us in Leon – we had a restful evening last night after turning in our bikes at the Post Office. We spent today wandering around the city and taking in a few sites. Leon, a city in northwest Spain, is the capital of the Province of Leon. Leon is a beautiful city, noted for its architecture and art…at the top of this list is the Cathedral de Leon, a 13th century Gothic Cathedral. The cathedral, officially named the Santa Maria de Regla de Leon Cathedral was the first monument declared by the Royal Order of Spain on August 28, 1844. The cathedral features flying buttresses, an architectural element that helps to support the weight of the structure (the sheer weight of this cathedral is mind-boggling), as well as 130 stunning stained glass windows (my photos can not do them justice)!
When we arrived at the cathedral this morning, we were told that the cathedral was closed until 4:00 p.m. as there was a wedding going on early in the afternoon. We wondered why so many of the other tourists looked so overdressed!! Also, we wondered about booking this venue???? Probably not a destination wedding venue that will become popular back home any time soon! There was a significant police presence around the cathedral – it made us wonder if someone “important” was getting married… a politician, dignitary, celebrity…??? While we waited for the cathedral to open to the public, we enjoyed a great lunch at a sidewalk café. We don’t miss many (any?) opportunities to sample the local cuisine!
We also stopped at The Basílica of San Isidoro, another famous cathedral here in Leon. This cathedral is located on the site of an ancient Roman temple, though its Christian roots can be traced back to the early 10th century when a monastery dedicated to John the Baptist was built on the grounds. This cathedral is also famous for holding the “holy grail” – the cup Jesus supposedly used at the Last Supper, though over 200 cups and chalices across Europe all claim to be the possible relic. The thing about this chapel that we (Pete) noticed were the heaters underneath each pew. Even in the warm summers, these cathedrals remain cool; it is not hard to imagine them being very cold in the middle of the winter. I’m not sure whether pew warmers would be a help or a hindrance in keeping the attention of the parishioners!? Keeping this space warm would be a definite challenge in trying to modernize and maintain these beautiful spaces! As I walked through these buildings, trying to take photos that do the spaces justice, and seeing other folks trying to do the same thing, reminded me of an old Avery and Marsh Sunday school/camp song…
“I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together. All who follow Jesus, all around the world, YES, we’re the church together!
The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.
We’re many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces, all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places.”
There are a few more verses (you can look them up if you’d like to), but as I looked around at the tourists today, I was hopeful that the church was being well represented with the people we encountered today – people of all colors, ages, and from all kinds of places, whether in a cathedral or at a sidewalk cafe! And I hope we did our part as well.
After a full day of walking, looking, eating, and learning, we are at our hotel, ready to settle in for the night, and ready to see where tomorrow’s journey takes us!
Buen Camino!
