When you’ve been raised inside a religion, it’s not a small thing to step outside it. Even if you no longer believe in it, you can feel its absence.
There’s a spirit-wound to a Sunday.
You can patch it, but it’s there, whether natural or invented not for me to say.
~ Niall Williams, “This Is Happiness” (Bloomsbury Publishing; December 3, 2019)
Photo: Kuehn Malvezzi of “House of One” (Berlin)
Live & Learn 
‘a spirit wound’ – perfectly said
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IT is….
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The white empty space, the barrel vault, the tall vertical windows are so evocative. I wondered what I was seeing before the quote. What a great post. Thank you.
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I had the same exact reaction Gordon. Thank you.
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Always a pleasure, David.
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A closer look at the photograph gives the impression that the room is in the shape of an Ω, as in the Alpha (beginning) and Omega (end/ consummation) of Christian theology. It is as though the photographer chose to show us only the right side of the Omega. What more can you tell us, David, about the intent of the architect, the photographer, and the author?
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Gordon, read more about the “House of One” here: https://www.world-architects.com/en/kuehn-malvezzi-berlin/project/house-of-one-berlin
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Thanks for the link. I opened the links on your post only after replying. What a find this is. My 18 yr. old grandson, an engineering major, is far too creative and imaginative than engineering will allow. I’ve encouraged him in the direction of architecture which better befits him. Your post will be in his inbox this morning before he sits at the organ of a church in Louisville.
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Wonderful. Hope it’s an inspiration.
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Aren’t blogs like this one here just such a brilliant inspiration? Sometimes, it’s a challenge, sometimes a bit of fun, others a discovery…. and peeps like you add richness to Dave’s posts. 🙂
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So true Kiki. It’s all about the Peeps!
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Kiki, it’s a joy to be in touch with you and Dave. You brighten my days.
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And more about the author of the passage here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_Williams
and I loved this book review in the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/19/this-is-happiness-niall-wlliams-review.
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I feel a post coming on.
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Good!
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Gordon, it’s now 9.11pm, still need to place an order for rather important bedding material but sort of fell over your super-kind comment and had to tell you that RIGHT NOW you’ve made MY DAY…. Thank you. It’s all giving & taking. I’ll have SO much to read and digest when and if I’ll find a time slot to dig into Dave’s blog. 😉
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Hi Kiki, my apologies for this late response. So glad I could play a part in making your day.
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From the graphic, one expects an angel any second, come to Retrieve one at last (a la Francis Thompson’s “Hound of Heaven”)!
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Yes, I thought the same on incoming Angels!
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
“When you’ve been raised inside a religion, it’s not a small thing to step outside it.” … in my personal view, I have been able to stay outside and look in … without regrets!!
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That picture… and it’s funny, but, though I went through all the official “rituals” of Catholicism, we were far from raised religiously. I wonder how that would have affected how I live my life?
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Big question.
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Yep. One I shan’t spend my time worrying over.
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It was absurd, naïve, childish, and sentimental. You can’t correct the mistakes of a lifetime. You are your own past. These things happened, you did them, you have to accommodate them inside your skin and go forward. Even if you could – and you couldn’t, can’t – there was no going back. Something like this was running through my mind.
~ Niall Williams, “This Is Happiness” (Bloomsbury Publishing, December 3, 2019)
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I could not agree more!
Damn you, David… I am already reading, “Erosion, Essays of Undoing” because of you… and now I’ll have to read this one!
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Monday here, nice and cool it is too, for now
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You are overdue for nice and cool. Good for you
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Just my 2p of thoughts.
1st: Magnificent photo – saw it in the reader and thought: That’s a church I’d like to convert – that space, light, those slim windows, the vaults, the magic….
2nd: The words – I believe you less and less when you say you’re an agnostic. You weren’t so touched by Niall Williams’ words if you didn’t yearn for something a bit more substantial in your life.
3rd: Read the Graun article – yes, fascinating
4th: Looked up the German band of those 3 fabulous architect founders of this now really big and important company. So much we learn, and so much we’ll never learn!
And lastly: I’m occasionally sneeking an hour of YTube binge-viewing of a ‘proposed’ link called Escape to the Country….
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1) Yes. 2) Yes. 3) Yes. 4) Yes
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Thanks Dave, being given approval by you is high praise indeed 😉
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🙂
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I read an article today and it reminded your offering…backstory the subject at that time had lost 20 years of memory instantly, she now has recovered to a point of the past 5 years being blank…”Swenson, who had left the Church of Latter Day Saints 10 years previously, kept asking for a Mormon blessing. She was easily disturbed: “We’re not supposed to be here,” she mumbled over and over again. It was as if she’d time-traveled back to 1992.” (at that moment she was in 1992…amazing how the brain in chaos recalls…
I will send you the link to the article which also has an amazing piece of art to go along with the article…the article will stay with a person for sometime…
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Thank you Christie.
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btw I love the photo, amazing streaming light highlighting architecture…
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Really is!
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