Like many of you, I was shocked at the news of the Notre Dame Cathedral catching fire. If I were to be honest, I didn’t think much of it at first. As I was going about my day, I first heard word of the famous structure seen with smoke coming from its roof on Twitter. I thought to myself “that’s unfortunate, I’m sure they will put it out soon.” No more than five minutes later I watched as flames stretched toward the sky from the roof of the cathedral knowing that I was now witnessing a historic tragedy taking place. As I listened to news reports roll in, I knew deep inside what all news stations wanted to report, but no one wanted to say: the Cathedral is lost. 

I have never been to Europe, so I obviously have never been to Paris nor the famed Cathedral. But as I watched the famous spire collapse through the roof my heart broke. Why? I’m not catholic, so the building has no religious value to me. Yet I know the value and significance of watching a place of prayer and worship burn to what originally looked like would be nothing. I also think my heart broke because I would never see this building in all its glory as it originally was, housing all of it’s history. Yes they will probably rebuild, but it will never be the same. 

As I continued to watch the events unfold, I listened as news agencies began talking about the history of this cathedral. I listened as they talked about how millions of people every year come to Paris to see this piece of art and history. I listened as they reported that France, as a whole, is a primarily secular country. I thought to myself, “In the heart of the City of Lights lies a building that, to many, was the face of Paris. A building that housed the holy crown, the crown of thrones believed to have been worn by Jesus on the cross. A building that housed a piece of the cross and a nail that is believed to be from Jesus crucifixion. A building with countless numbers of artwork testifying to the greatness of the God of the Bible and His love for the world. And yet, a building where much of the traffic entering through the doors likely did not come to worship God, but rather to take selfies, an act of self worship, in front of two bell towers as if it was just another place to mark off the bucket list. In the center of the City of Lights, a place to worship the Light of the world was erected; and yet darkness engulfs the country more than the flames that engulfed Notre Dame.”

The irony in all of this is that Notre Dame burned during the middle of Holy Week. A time celebrated by Christians around the world as the week leading up to Good Friday; a day to remember Jesus’ finished work on the cross, paying the debt for sin no one could pay. More importantly, a week that leads to Easter, a day to celebrate that Jesus, God in the flesh, conquered the grave, leaving us all with the promise that we need not fear death when we claim Jesus as LORD of our lives. 

It’s because of the death and resurrection of Jesus that all who follow him are promised life. In a promise to the people in Israel, the prophet Isaiah writes,

“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”

Isaiah 61:3 NLT

This verse rushed to my mind as I heard hymns, songs of praise to God, being sung from the mouths of the people of Paris. The same people who the news stations moments earlier reported claim no religious affiliation or claim Catholicism without actually practicing it. As a church, a place of worship burned into the night, songs of worship to God still rang out from this “secular country”.

It’s Holy Week. Through Jesus’ death, a crown of beauty was given for ashes, as life was promised to us all. French president Macron has already promised to rebuild the famed Cathedral from its ashes. The Vatican claimed Notre Dame is the symbol of Christianity in France. Who knows if the destruction of such an iconic building could be what God uses to call His people in France back to Him. They are already singing His praises, that sounds like beauty out of the ashes to me. Only time will tell. For now, we pray.