Peace On A Weekday
On a warm and sunny afternoon in the middle of the work week, I stepped inside the church. I very seldom have an opportunity to visit the church of my baptism in the middle of an afternoon work day, and it was a work assignment that brought me to the school next door. I found it easier to park on the street next to the church and detour through the building to the school.
As I walked through the vestibule I stuck my head inside, noticing only the flicker of candles. And I whispered to the empty seats “I’ll be back.” Then I proceeded out the door to the school and on to my assignment. When I finished, I ventured back inside the church.
I slid into the pew at the very back. It was a vantage point I rarely experienced in all 60 some years of attending this church.
Pastors always encouraged their flock not to be shy and to fill the front seats. However, I’ve noticed over the years that people tend to claim the same seating spots in their parish of choice over and over again.
But on this day I had my choice of seats as the church was empty. Only that red candle burning on the altar told me I was not alone. The sun was streaming through the gorgeous stained glass windows, something I had walked past hundreds of times but never really saw until this day. The prisms of color captured me in their beauty, allowing me to revel in the talents that put them there decades ago.
There is something extremely peaceful and spiritual about silence in this sanctuary. Yes, I could hear the school children playing on the playground and an occasional truck rumble by, yet those sounds were muffled enough not to interrupt my open-eyed meditation in silence.
It was easy to soak in the presence of something good here. The well-worn wooden pews spoke of the dedication of its people. The flowers resting at Mary’s feet on the side altar tells me she is cherished. The hymn numbers listed on the wall promised to bring voices to the still air.
In such a place, it’s easy to have a conversation with God. There are no distractions other than those of the beauty of the building shining through. It’s His house, after all, and He certainly keeps a tidy place.
I felt bad that there aren’t more visitors through the week. Being alone is not a bad thing but being lonely is just awful. As I sat, I wondered if God ever got lonely in His empty home.
The next 17 days will be stressful as our nation battles inward to decide who will sit behind the desk in the Oval Office in January. I urge you to find a place of peace, whether in a church, at a picnic table in the park or in your own home, to settle your thoughts and gather the energy to go out and vote, either through early voting or on Nov. 8.
I have found my place of peace in those old, familiar pews. Leaving the church, I crossed myself with a dip in the holy water, again whispering, “I’ll be back.”
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.
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