Missing Churches

Churches are gradually disappearing, sadly. In ancient times, churches were the places where the community went, not just for spiritual comfort but also for protection. When the area was threatened the natural place to head, was off to the local cathedral. Usually made of stone, with huge, hard closing doors and high walls, a bell tower to broadcast alarm and with plenty of open space inside, the organ pealing out gigantic tones was paced for song. There are places in Europe where the evidence inside and outside saw the church on seige, scorched, those inside, victims of fire and canon volleys. During more modern wartimes, churches were places where bullets were dodged and people protected and lodged to some degree of safety. When bombing and rockets came along that ended stone walls being any help at all. Those who manage churches: the clergy, the boards and councils and other forms of church governing, often make their structures into shelters for those in need as they are given  empathetic attention and care. Now, because  churches are emptying more and more, they can become concert halls and some that are no longer in use, are made into different forms of lay entertainment. Their  large floor size and  layouts that work for audiences are ideal. One, once filled regularly, I sat in and saw  the organ loft above the altar, no longer used, was laid out like a clever art installment, its elegant pipes lining the entire space. The building's ceiling, was being under a vast wood boat hull upturned, and it seemed to lay over us all, we who were listening a string quartet. Protectively, it was like a huge beamed and cedar lined sky. Church acoustics are well-planned for concerts. As I sat listening to the string quartet playing poignant modern melodies, I felt sad that perhaps no longer do hosts of youngsters troop off on Sundays, dressed in their finest, to listen with fascination, to ancient stories depicted on easels clad with felt figures and told by ladies and men committed sincerely, to their simple passions and faith. It made me ponder: do young people marvel over the broad issues of humanity then and the old morality? Do they  marvel at the incense wafting or see real candle flames or look into the uplifted faces of carved statues and wonder what it all means?