It has only been a little over a week since we were in Ireland, and already I find myself missing it. What an extraordinary place! Katherine and I rented a tiny little euro-car and drove from town to town, exploring the southern half of the island.
But of all the beautiful things we saw, my favorite by far was a pile of rocks known as the Gallarus Oratory. This small beehive-shaped building is an ancient church. It was constructed sometime around 700 AD by early Christians, a part of a monastic settlement on the Dingle peninsula. Though it’s 1300 years old, it’s still watertight. Not bad for a stack of rocks.
But more extraordinary than the architectural achievement of it is the feeling you get standing inside of it. You can feel the weight of centuries. You can imagine all of the prayers uttered within those walls. You instantly connect to our long and beautiful Christian heritage.
Katherine and I took some time, to reflect, to pray, to thank God for leading us to this amazing place. I sat inside the oratory and prayed: for all the places we’ve been, and for all the places we have yet to go, for my teammates, for the Lord’s Will to be done.
In America, we don’t have a proper appreciation for the power and depth of our Christian heritage. But the truth is, people have been putting their faith in Jesus for centuries. Generation after generation, worshipping our Lord just as we do. We must see that we are a part of it; that we have our place in the history of the church. What are we doing with it? What will others say, generations from now, about the way we’ve lived out our faith?
Now is our time. Let’s make the most of it.
