Barcelona has been, by far, my absolute favorite city I've been to so far. Every street that I passed was full of gorgeous angles and gorgeous people.
Perhaps my most favorite memory will be the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) Basilica. Someone started building it about 140 years ago in the 1880s and it is still under construction. In fact, the prominent Spanish architect Gaudí worked on it for 40 years before he was run over by a train in a freak accident. He even built his own crypt where he would lay until maggots eat all his marrow which is in the basement of his heart--the cathedral.
Each part of the cathedral is detailed and thought through to the inch. I've never in my life seen anything or could imagine such majesty. On the outside are tall spires each representing a person--Mary the mother of Jesus, the four Apostles, and others that I can't remember. They haven't even started building the spire that represents Jesus which will be the grandest of them all.
Inside are stained glass windows that set the mood for contemplation and religious rituals--prayer and such. The ceiling is so high that you almost forget there is one and you feel like you're in a forest with each of the pillars feeling like tree trunks. Gaudí was inspired by elements in nature from honeycombs to trees to water to leaves to decorate and provide structure to his cathedral.
Pictures can't do this church any justice. I'd recommend putting it on your Bucketlist. I will come visit it again when it is finished--should be in 15-20 years, just in time for my 42nd birthday?
Walking through this edifice made me think about a lot of things. Below is a synopsis:
1) Christ still has influence in the world. I get discouraged so often when I see, hear about, and interact with people who don't believe the way I do as they have not experienced what I have--salvation and sweet communion with Jesus. I want others so desperately to know Him and to have their lives transformed as mine has!
(Selfie with tourist headphones in front of old section of cathedral that Gaudí was actually in charge of)
2) When I was listening to the audio with the stupid earphones that immediately identify you as a tourist to Barcelona but explain all the intricacies of the cathedral, I noticed how the vision of Gaudí who was a believer in Jesus as the One and only Way to God, has been diluted. I remember distinctly when the script said "you may not believe any or all that this cathedral represents and that is ok as long as you approach it with respect and search for your inner peace and understanding." I mean, that's cool and all, but how far we have come as a human race from Jesus.
3) Also on this note, I think it is interesting how Spain, and the rest of Europe, has less than 1% identify as Christian, but this massive church is being built with both private and public funds. Gaudí wanted everyone to experience his Christ and to worship Jesus and make Jesus' name famous, and it is. What a legacy he made. He dedicated his life to Jesus and focused his attention on building so that others will know Jesus.
4) Gaudí's skills and talents were remarkable, and he maximized on them building to represent the past, the present (him actually doing the work while he was alive), and also for the future. He knew that his vision could not be finished in his lifetime. And he spent 5 years planning and designing what he would never lay eyes on. He also mentioned that there were some elements of his sculpture that were not possible due to lack of technology in his day, that he was sure would exist in the future. And he was right. They now use computers to design Gaudí's vision due to its complexity.
Gaudí's vision and life is represented in his temple--it is his best, most intricate, and final work. One of the most amazing quotes I read was when he said that an element/concept he put into the cathedral structure was only possible because he had tried it before and perfected it before he was commissioned to do the cathedral.
This spoke volumes to me. His best work was built on experimenting and learning from mistakes. He could not have built his cathedral if he had never sculpted other things.
So in essence, the part I'm living in life now is practice and where I experiment, and learn from my mistakes. It is ok to fail and cry and be frustrated. I have to grow and be open to constructive criticism, but never forget my vision given to me by God.
The other major thing I'm applying to my life is how important it is to not only build for now, but for the future. To leave enough of the blueprint--to write enough--for those who follow in my footsteps and in the path I've cleared.
Last, guard my vision. After he died, there was a massive fire that burned up a lot of his models that had to be pieces back together, and singed his blueprints. Just like Elijah anointed Elisha to continue his work after he had died, I must do the same so that progress won't die. In every single movement of people, there has been a catalyst, supporters of the vision, spokesperson(s), and carriers of the vision to the masses and to the future. The vision, although blurry in my head, is important enough to require all of these moving pieces.
I must be wary with whom I share it as people's opinions can distort the clarity I have and can lead me to follow someone else's vision or dilute the power that mine has.
I also must write down what I see and keep it, but also allow it to unfold before my eyes and form into an outcome I may not have even had when I first started dreaming and writing. Life throws blows, but vision never changes although the outcome will. Gaudí didn't know there would be a Spanish war or that his death would be so untimely, but the vision continued even though links in the road moved the outcome to something slightly different than what was originally envisioned.and you know what? That's ok.
Here's the love of my life--the cupcake. And I'm pretty sure that's André 3000 complete with his magnificent facial hair and hat.
I'm done now. Hopefully what I've written gave you something to think about. I grew so much and reflected transformationally as I traversed through the heart and vision of a famous Spaniard.
Peace.
