Photo Title: The National Shrine of the Apostle Paul
Locations: St. Paul, MN
Exif Info
Aperture: f11
Shutter: 10, 5, 2.5
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 35mm
Lens: Nikkor 35mm f1.8
Camera: Nikon D90
When I walked up to the cathedral I was intrigued by a Latin phrase, euntes ergo docete omnes gentes, written prominently across the arch. The phrase is from the great commission: "Go therefore, teaching the nations." I found this an ironic statement to find on the front of a cathedral.
Is this what the great commission looks like? Is this what it means to go? When I see the Cathedral I am reminded of the Old Testament missiology of "come and see," not the great commission "go and tell." Is this building the result of faithful going and telling, and does it faithfully send the gospel message to the nations gathered in St. Paul, and across the globe?
The St. Paul Cathedral is a beautiful building, and as a building it portrays certain attributes of God better than my church building. It is a beautiful and powerful sight to see the cross standing above the city of St. Paul. Yet, in the end, it is the message that matters, not the building. Perhaps euntes ergo docete omnes gentes was written there to remind us of exactly that, but beneath a three hundred foot dome it feels fairly understated.
Is this what the great commission looks like? Is this what it means to go? When I see the Cathedral I am reminded of the Old Testament missiology of "come and see," not the great commission "go and tell." Is this building the result of faithful going and telling, and does it faithfully send the gospel message to the nations gathered in St. Paul, and across the globe?
The St. Paul Cathedral is a beautiful building, and as a building it portrays certain attributes of God better than my church building. It is a beautiful and powerful sight to see the cross standing above the city of St. Paul. Yet, in the end, it is the message that matters, not the building. Perhaps euntes ergo docete omnes gentes was written there to remind us of exactly that, but beneath a three hundred foot dome it feels fairly understated.
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