NOTRE DAME: Humans are more important

As I learned of the devastation of Notre Dame and watched the president of France, Emmanuel Macron speak about France’s loss of a national treasure, I wondered why I wasn’t terribly upset. So, I tried to relate to it as if the U.S. Capitol building was destroyed. That helped a little in feeling the loss of something historical. But the emotional feeling of deep loss was still void.

Then it hit me when Macron said he vowed France would rebuild it even more beautiful than before. As magnificent as Notre Dame is and admittedly the U.S. Capitol building to a lesser degree, both are still just man-made structures. They’re not worth the life of one human being. When that thought came to me, along with his vow to rebuild Notre Dame more beautiful than before, I thought, why the hell are we so eager and quick to spend millions and billions of dollars building monuments and building, supposedly in honor of God, when there are millions and billions of poor, sick, starving and homeless souls right next door. As a Christian, I understand the desire to honor God, but the fact is, what honors God isn’t monuments and buildings; it’s how we live our life in our walk with Him. He wants our hearts, our trust, our faith. No different than what we want from our children. I would rather my children honor me by their trust, faith and love, than any gift or monument they might build for me.

JERRY MARTIN

Post Falls