Chiesa o museo?
Two months from today, our plane will land in Rome! To celebrate completing the Little Rock Institute of Theology with our bachelor's degrees and/or certification, my Texarkana classmates and I are going to Italy for two weeks. It really is a dream come true. The history, the art, the architecture of this vibrant city fascinates me. Even more, the opportunity to explore this area's sense of the sacred seems to call me. To fashion a fabulous vacation into a prayerful pilgrimage.
When I was ten, my parents decided to take our large family to Washington, D.C. on vacation. My dad wanted us to get the most from our time there. Before we left home, he assigned each of us a topic to research and share. I don't remember what every body else had, but I had the executive branch of the government. I went to the library, wrote about it, gave it to my dad. It really did make seeing the White House more “real” for me.
Today, as I daydream about my Italian trip, I follow Dad's advice. There are stacks of books in my office and bedroom about Rome, Tuscany, churches, pilgrimages, language, art. To sift through some of those topics, over the next 8 weeks, I'll write about different areas we plan to visit. I would so love any input and/or suggestions of where you think we should visit. What should we make sure we see? Where is your favorite place in Rome? In Tuscany? In Umbria? Where did you experience the “sacred”?
A friend of mine recently returned from a European trip. She was troubled that so many of the churches now charge admission. She shared that she told the ushers that she was there on pilgrimage and wanted to pray at these sacred places, not as a tourist who just wanted to look and leave. Most places graciously let her in without paying. Often she put money in the poor box as she left. I have been pondering: church or museum? How will I handle this when we are there? Surely each of these sacred spots have maintenance costs, but is everyone charged upon arrival? How does that change one's purpose of prayer? Does it rather take away the spirit of freely offering...hmmm...
What have been your experiences?
