Rebuilding

It was a horrifying sight, watching an icon like the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burning.  It's been a part of our world since the 12th century. It's a place every American in Paris visits.  So much in our world is changed, replaced, disintegrated, Notre Dame was a constant that we thought would never change.

As horrible as the fire was, the most recent reports give hope that the basic structure is still there and that it can be rebuilt.  Individual donations are pouring in and will be more than sufficient to restore it to its former glory.

Few stories galvanize us anymore.  This one caught the world's attention like little I've seen since 9/11.  Everyone is appreciative that there was no loss of life (at least that I've heard of), and I have heard nothing credible to indicate that this was a terrorist attack, or anything deliberate.

This is certainly getting a lot more attention than other tragedies that occur right here in America.  Our black churches burn, often at the hands of white supremacists, and it barely makes a blip on our consciousness.  The most heinous of mass shootings are gone from our radar within days of occurring now.  They pass quickly from "It's too soon to talk about gun control" to "Why are you talking about gun control?  We don't have a problem!"

Our civic society has devolved due to constant assault as well.  Our political norms are wearing thin as our autocratic President bulls his way through the china shop of our fragile democracy. But I have faith that this too will be rebuilt.  That enough Trumpeteers will wake up and see the civilization burning down in front of them.  Our march towards democracy is not as old as Notre Dame, but it's almost 250 years old now, and certainly as important to the free world as Notre Dame.

Notre Dame has suffered setbacks before.  Time and war have ravaged her.  But she always perseveres, survives, and is rebuilt to glory.

I pray the same will hold true for Old Glory as well.