Adequate Versus Inspiring

Have you ever wondered why so many Christian church buildings are beyond just what is adequate, beyond what simply will work or be sufficient to get the job done? Have you ever said to yourself that money could have been used for the poor, the homeless, the needy?

Hmm. I’ve often thought that myself when looking at cathedrals like Notre Dame, the Crystal Cathedral, or even my own church’s castle-like structure. 

However, as I read “Person of Interest,” J. Warner Wallace’s new book, I had to rethink my opinion that these churches were wastefully elaborate and overly costly. My perspective was changed when I read J. Warner Wallace’s chapter on how Jesus’ followers influenced art—which would include architectural design.

As with our own church building and those I mentioned and many, many others, the desire of early Christians as well as Jesus’ followers today was and now is to worship in buildings that represent well the light, the glory, and the majesty of the Lord of lords, the God of gods, and the King of kings. The latter is said to be the reason our church building looks like a mini castle.

Additionally, what stood out me in this portion of “Person of Interest” is not just that Christians built such beyond the adequate buildings but how, in the process of constructing buildings that inspired, they made advances in structure that have transformed architectural design itself. The use of domes was mastered by Christian builders. The use of windows, large windows, purposed for great beauty and to stream in light necessitated structural innovations. Christians also mastered the art of stained-glass windows, something my church boasts of in all shapes and sizes.

All this occurred because Christians were motivated to move from the barely adequate meeting houses to places that “better reveal the identity of Jesus and the reality of heaven.” They wanted their surroundings to help them set their minds on God’s heavenly throne as they worshipped. And they wanted to create something that would honor Jesus…not just in their eyes but in everyone’s eyes.

When I was dwelling on this, I thought of Mark 14:3-8. Jesus tells us there that to make the opportunity to honor Him is worth it, is noble. He said the poor would always be with us. That’s not sidestepping caring for the poor. I think Jesus is pointing out that we always have that responsibility to help the needy. But, at the same time, we can choose to do what’s in our hearts to reveal His glory in practical ways, such as the Lord God had the Israelites do in building the tabernacle and in building the temple. One does not negate other. That’s most likely the attitude of our forefathers in the Christian faith. It is our purpose to glorify God with all parts of our lives.

So, our forefathers choose to move from tiny, dark crowded houses to meeting together in larger groups in more suitable buildings. As they did so, they progressed in building structures with domed and arched ceilings, perfecting how to bring in light using hidden light wells, strategically placed windows, and even secondary walls with windows. History shows their desire to create buildings that spoke to the glory and splendor of God forever changed architecture. Additionally, these cathedrals became places that displayed artwork painted on the ceilings and walls, and statues that stood tucked into niches. Not only that, these buildings became places where musical expression was encouraged and even transformed. That’s another cultural “fallout,” as J. Warner Wallace calls it, that is demonstrated in “Person of Interest.”

J. Warner Wallace wrote that worship centers “became monuments to the impact Jesus had on culture in the common Era. In fact, no person of interest in the history of persons of interest had the kind of impact Jesus had on art and music.”

The evidence is laid out clearly in the book, not just in print but in detailed illustrations. There is no one, not one person in history, who has had the influence, the impact on our lives today that Jesus has. If you take Jesus out of history, today’s culture globally would be unrecognizable. Every person on earth owes so much more to Jesus, history’s Person of Interest, than just our salvation that John 3:16 speaks of.

Want to expand on this truth? I’d advise picking up a copy of “Person of Interest.” You’ll want to read and reread it and keep it as a reference book when others ask you, “Why does Jesus matter to me?”