Strange days, indeed

Took a break to eat my lunch and check up on stuff online.

Saw Notre Dame cathedral burning.

I am just sad. I have never been to Paris and never seen it in person, but it makes me sad because it was a beautiful thing and one of those things where I think of it (like Bach's music and like Shakespeare's plays) and go "the human race must not be so terrible if it can produce something like that"

Yes, probably much of it will be salvaged/rebuilt (I hope. Though I wonder if there will be the money or the will now: and I think of the Sunday school lesson this week, ironically enough it was the story of the woman who dumped expensive oil on Christ to anoint him, and the response - this was the Matthew version, so it was the disciples as a whole, rather than just Judas or the host - saying "But that could have been sold for much money, and the money given to the poor!" and yes, I can see that argument, but...there's also some old saying about needing bread BUT ALSO roses.)

I read a few of the comments attached to the Tweets I read initially, and then noped out. People saying stuff that it's not the time or the place to say. (Either: blame on the Church for the scandalous actions of some priests, or speculation that....another religious/cultural group committed arson). At this point it looks like an unfortunate accident that happened during renovation, and I am perfectly willing to accept that as the simplest explanation (given that many other renovations of buildings large and small have led to fires) absent some clear evidence it was otherwise.

The lovely Rose Windows are likely lost. I suppose they can be remade (again, if there is the money and the will, and people who can do that kind of art). Apparently a large number of copper statues from the roof had been removed during the renovation and are safe in storage,  so at least there's that.

Apparently they evacuated the people, so at least the people visiting (though the fire started late in the day, I guess when there might not be as many tourists or worshippers there) are safe. And I'm reading there's apparently an effort to rescue some of the art treasures, though again: I wonder, is it worth risking even one human's life to save something like that?

It's especially hard seeing this at the start of Holy Week. I honestly don't know how much Notre Dame is used for services any more (I know France is a much more secular country than it was hundreds of years ago) but still....the cathedral is a symbol, and living in such iconoclastic times as we do, it hurts to lose a symbol. I also admit my paredolia (tendency to see symbols and patterns when none may actually exist) is kind of raging today, and I'm wondering if we're going to see the loss of more beautiful things in the coming days.

And yes, I know: it's been renovated and rebuilt down through the years. It probably could be again. But...it just seems....much....for it to happen now, at the start of Holy Week and also during a time when it feels like there is a great deal of insecurity, upheaval, and loss-of-beautiful-things in the world.

I've been trying to get good updates here at work (without actually watching streaming video) but it's hard to find a good site.

Update: they are now saying that it's possible nothing of the structure may be saved. Because you can't put water on hot stone - it will only fracture. so what may remain are a few ruined walls and what artwork they were able to get out.

Perhaps....perhaps Notre Dame becomes a "lost work"? That the ruined walls be kept as a monument, rather than it be rebuild? Like a gravesite for the building. I don't know.

Some of the better tweets I read on it were actually in French, written by French people (in one case, I think, a priest). So I guess there is some immediate value in being able to read a language other than English.