It was as if the world stood still to watch, in disbelief, the sight of flames engulfing the medieval Gothic structure of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The numerous news stories that more directly impacted our lives were pushed aside as the focus rest on the fire that would unite us in the loss of history.
The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and, for over 800 years, had survived nature and man’s wrath, survining through weather, the French Revolution and both World Wars I and II. When a structure survives over 800 years, there is an understood belief that it will live on; and that’s why the flames ravaging the cathedral were so shocking - not just to Catholics and not just to the French, but to the world.
In Paris, firefighters are part of the military and extremely qualified; but for over 5 hours the fire showed no signs of weakness in the face of the efforts of 500 firefighters.
As we watched the live images, it was difficult to comprehend the sudden loss of history. Instantly, there was suspicion as to how the fire started; and early in the coverage, I received a text asking me if Muslims had started the fire.
On Fox News, host Neil Cavoto seemed to stifle speculation from Bill Donohue of the Catholic League as he raised early suspicion that the fire had been maliciously set. There will be an intense investigation into the cause of the fire, but initial reports indicate the fire started in the roof of the cathedral and was not believed to have been intentionally set.
The idea that the fire may have been maliciously set by militant Muslims seemed to make it easier to explain the sight of flames and dark smoke billowing into the Parisian sky from the cathedral built in medieval times. The thought that this happened without a villain to blame was unsettling to many.
So many things in life change rapidly and often without warning that it is natural for us to cling to certain things that have witnessed and survived centuries. For the world’s Catholics and for those who have visited the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the visual of the burning structure was personal, but for the rest, the sight of an iconic testament to the past was hurtful.
During the war in Iraq, even non-Muslim Americans who had no emotional or firsthand relationship with centuries-old mosques and religious symbols were saddened by the sight of historical symbols and structure being destroyed by war. As humans, we crave the comfort that stability provides, but we have learned that longevity of tangible items never guarantees they will last forever.
Notre Dame officials are vowing to rebuild and as long as the towers and the facade of the cathedral remain in front of the section to be rebuilt, then a sense of history will continue.
The flames that burned through the cathedral also burned a scar on the hearts and in the minds of those who respect that historical structures represent the greatness of humankind.
