The Transparent Church

Today I was perusing through a few sites and something struck me.

It's a sculpture ('Cathedra Domine') by an acquaintance of mine, Rosy Harray.

Here's her description of it:

My latest work, Cathedra Domine, was an overt look at the state of Christianity. My aim was to undo some of the conventions that have long been established over history by exposing the hierarchal, hypocritical and political systems that are found within the architecture and religiosity of Christianity. The skeleton framework is a way of ‘taking down the walls’ of the church. To strip back the excessiveness, expose it and provide a transparency that makes it vulnerable. This cathedral stands more like a conduit than a container and allows the opposites of light and darkness, architecture and nature to exist simultaneously.

The beautifully wrought skeleton of the church says “let all who wish to enter here be welcome.” There was no way this church could stop anyone from entering. The difference between the sculpture and the outside world dissolved since the wall-less structure obstructed nothing and the air, the grass, the plants, sky, path, and tree branches, were simultaneously inside and outside the church. This is a public work for a public park.

The things that she said that stuck out to me were:

• " (it) stands more like a conduit than a container" and
  
• "There was no way this church could stop anyone from entering."

The church should be a conduit. It should connect people to God, and allow him to be the power.
It should also be a place where we couldn't stop people coming in if we tried, that there's so much transparency that you can see right through the church and all it's schemes. If your heart's in the right place, why wouldn't you let yourself be transparent? We must overcome insecurity, and have a see-through faith.