In preparation for this column, I built a cathedral.
Well, that’s not quite true. Actually, I started to assemble a LEGO® set of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. If you wonder why all those pop-up ads appear online, it’s because sometimes they work. Why did this one, for a new release from LEGO® with 4,383 pieces, tug at my credit card? In a couple of words, fascinated curiosity.
In June, I read a short review for David Macaulay’s book “Cathedral.” It’s an award-winning children’s book from 1973 about how our medieval ancestors built the stunning European churches we still view with awe. Reflections of their inspiring achievements in design and skill can be seen in some of the churches in our own diocese, though of course on a much different scale.
With further reading the LEGO® pop-up popped up. It captured my imagination as well as a bit from my bank account. Learning would happen not just by reading, but in (a vastly simplified) doing. Maybe this will be something I can share with our students, I thought — teaching and learning together about a part of our Catholic history.
Without modern cranes and heavy equipment, prefabricated scaffolding, hydraulic lifts, computer modeling, today’s tools — how did they do that? How did they build those cathedrals? What techniques and materials did they use, or even invent? How many workers toiled day-by-day? What motivated such a vast undertaking, projects spanning decades? To me, those are fascinating questions worth learning about.
About 2,400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato remarked that “philosophy begins in wonder.” More than passing curiosity, and certainly more than hunger for gossip, opinions or random facts, Plato’s “wonder” refers to our search for deeper truth, the desire to understand. How? When? Who? And above all, why?
Children ask these questions spontaneously, and often. Their natural curiosity can be insatiable; the answer to one question leads to a dozen more. They want to know about everything. Some questions are expected: Why is the sky blue? Who’s that? How old are you? (I get that one regularly from first-graders.) Others are profound: Why did Grandpa get sick? Who made God? When will people stop fighting each other?
This issue’s focus on Catholic education might prompt images of a familiar classroom. But being a Catholic “student” happens throughout life: in our schools and faith formation programs for all ages; in Mass through the Scriptures, prayers and (hopefully) homilies; in conversation and good literature and entertainment choices; in unexpected events and encounters that surprise us and enrich us; in personal prayer that reflects on the experiences of the day and our successes and failures as a disciple of Jesus, learning from our true Teacher.
No matter what your age, cultivate wonder and be a lifelong learner. Ask meaningful questions and listen to reliable answers. Some learning may inspire you; some may challenge or unsettle you. Even in those moments, wonder why. That is often the seed of conversion, the nudge of the Holy Spirit.
We are awash in an electronic flood of news feeds, influencers, random trivia, marketing, distraction. Information does not always lead to knowledge, much less wisdom. Rather than simply accumulating mental inventory, be an intentional learner. Ask: what am I trying to build? What can I take into my life that will make me more understanding, kind, generous, patient, humble, well-rounded as a person? What gifts has God given me that I can develop to put at the service of others?
Notre Dame Cathedral took 97 years to construct in the 13th century, and only a few hours to burn in 2019. After almost five years, it is open once again. But remarkable as that structure and its long and varied history are, we are daily engaged in greater work, building up the Church, the living Body of Christ. We use the same tools our ancestors had: the Word of God in the Scriptures, the grace of God in the sacraments, the love of God in the community we see and the communion of saints we do not yet see.
Some day, Jesus tells us, we will have no more questions to ask (John 16:23). Until then, indulge your wonder daily and learn something of God and the works of God that you didn’t know yesterday. It could be history; science; music; theology; other cultures; art; architecture. Stone by stone, prayer by prayer, kindness by kindness, build something inspiring on the foundation of faith that reaches to God.
The saints may not have online pop-up ads, but we remember them across the centuries to prompt us to a wonder deeper than Plato imagined, and ask: “How did they do that?” There’s a Teacher who will use many ways to tell you how.
Father Tom Knoblach is the pastor of Sacred Heart in Sauk Rapics and Annunciation in Mayhew Lake. He also serves as vicar for heath care ethics and vicar for clergy for the Diocese of St. Cloud.
Pictured above: Father Tom Knoblach works on a LEGO® set of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. (Dianne Towalski / The Central Minnesota Catholic)