Week 1: Awe-Inspiring Beams of Magic Over a Dangerous Looming Castle

Prague Castle, from the Charles Bridge. July 2013.

[I took this photograph in Czech a couple months ago. I was standing on the famed Charles Bridge. Here's some context on the perspective: if you look carefully you can see the head of a saint with a star studded halo around his head- that statue stands of the edge of the bridge. Along the horizon on the right you can see the peaks and towers of the Prague castle cathedral far in the distance, as well as a tiny flag, perhaps on one of the embassies surrounding it. The structure on the left is the gateway arch where the bridge meets the land.

It has just rained, and Prague was shimmering wet, the clouds were parting as we (for those of you who know him, Ben Ridge and myself) were crossing back into the town square after feeding swans or something else ridiculously picturesque- and I had to stop to try and capture it. I kid you not, I thought to myself: this is going to be my first blog in Lonnie's class. And here we are.]

There are two halves to this image. One is a structure- a shape. Words that come to mind: sharp, darkness, danger, power, dominant, overwhelming, ancient, immovable.The other half is this explosion of beams from the sky- a flood of light pouring onto the horizon, revealing the smallest speck of an expanse of blue sky, concealed behind it.

This image overall to me feels dangerous and majestic, and very religious. It feel religious in a lot of ways, the structure and dominance of religion, but also the spiritual and enlightening element of religion.  We have the power of religious government looming over the city, and somehow, the power of light pouring over it. The "conceal" of the castle and the "reveal" of the light coming through the clouds make for an image of overwhelming power.

I wanted to write about it because it made me feel small. It was light that made me feel small- and I think that's incredible. The beams are so penetrating and unapologetic- they, unlike us, are unafraid of the powerful man-made structure before them. The structure was created to put the fear and love of a God in the people, and yet, when up against the sky, the castle in impenetrable yes, but also feels less alive, and less powerful than the powers of light from above. The power of the cathedral can look over the people of Prague but the power of the light can reach them wherever they may be.