Man's Faith

*More thoughts, No Reviews. A/N This is something I wrote up after I ventured in to the Trinity Episcopal church in Downtown Santa Barbara.

Stepping from the sunny busy street in to the quiet sanctuary of the church, I stand alone among the pillars and stained glass windows reflecting the stories from scriptures I do not believe in.

I stand surrounded by quiet the noise of the street now a distant hum. 

I am no longer in downtown Santa Barbara I am in Italy, Peru, England, Turkey, Everywhere where a place of worship has welcomed me. Me a non-believer.

From the smallest chapels to the grandest imposing cathedrals I am always struck with awe. Not at a higher immortal being I cannot see but from the physical poof of man's faith.

For centuries we have worshipped, given our best artist and sculptures and architectures to build a place to show our devotion, homage to a being we give our love to. Some have stood the test of time and weather, the Temples of Egypt: others that have several religions call it its home such as The Hagia Sophia in Turkey, and some are just imposing such as my personal Favorite the massive Duomo in Florence, it is the only building in the world that can make me feel small and take my breath away and still others are simple and beautiful like this very small church in Santa Barbara, California. All to are a place of refuge to share worship and to be heard.

I may not believe in God or saints or even take the bible as nothing more than a collection of classic stories. Yet as I stand in this small packet of time I suddenly reinforced in my believe in one thing that Man's Faith is the most powerful force in the world.

Faith has changed the course of history itself, created wars and peace equally.

Faith has built places that millions pilgrim to for just a chance to touch it at something higher themselves.

Faith has given more to a poor lost soul then the richest man on earth could ever give.

Faith is sometimes the only thing that keeps a human from taking their life while at the same time Faith is what deludes a man to believe that he will be blessed if he blows a church or cafe.

Faith tells people who are acceptable to love and those who to hate, those who have rights and those who do not.

Faith gives a voice to those who may believe they do not have one.

Faith makes some stop everything to pray five times a day and others to gather in church once a week where we are told why if we take the word our god; we will have the keys to a paradise.

Faith can be a truly beautiful thing to behold, but at the same time can also take the vision of a hellish nightmare.

But it is faith that makes me believe that in this simple church the non-believer is not rejected in higher being’s eyes for I may not believe in him, I still have faith no one can take that from me.

Lives that are that fascinate.

*Not a review just a thoughts.

Have you ever been so intrigued by a story of a life that you must find out more and make it your own in some way? For me this has happened me a few times. Once when I was flipping though an illustrated history of the world, on one page I saw a picture of a woman unsheathing a sword, under the picture was a small paragraph headed, “Queen Semiramis of Assyria.” From that paragraph I had to know more, reading the page I got nothing so I hopped on the World Wide Web and scowed school libraries in search of This Assyrian Queen Semiramis. A woman of mostly myth who's powerful ambition created Babylon and conquered half the known world. The most fascinating thing about her was she was everywhere and no where at the same time. That is to say in the arts, opera and plays she features but in history books she is no more than a one line mentioned. It was this I was intrigued with why was she mentioned, what had she done to be mentioned it had to be more than just a being a wife and husband. As I read details of her story, I could hear and see her life played out and I knew in some way she was telling me to continue her story to tell her tale to a new generation. So the novels outline has been written it now just needs to be written. 

The second time this has happened was watching a documentary of Phantom Of the Opera becoming the hit musical (big surprise knowing Crazyphangirl right?) But the story of why it musical was written the love story in a love story. Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to create the musical for his new wife a beautiful soprano. Its a story that is worth keeping alive. I can see it maybe not as the two a novel of a composer risking his career for the woman he loves. its a tale would make a great novel. Or am I alone in this thought

This has happened once again to me a few days ago. If you live in Santa Barbara you may know of the bird refuge by East Beach across the street is a House on the Hill the mysterious Mansion  that no one has lived in for years. Well on Tuesday  the owner the reclusive Huguette Clark at the age 104. Wealthy woman who hid away from the spotlight after a disastrous marriage from my understanding, Owner of that house across the Bird refuge in SB, in fact she gave money to the city to build said refuge in honor of her sister death, she is said the be the wealthiest woman in the US, a fortune she inherited, she owed estates all around the country. Now with her death and no heirs the mystery of where all that fortune will go? Her death is fascinating enough I am interesting in her life. To know what made her hide from the world. Her story too strange that you can't make it up. But my fascination aside  I do hope now after a very long life  one that sounds like it was rather rough she is finally at peace.

Anyone who know anything about Semiramis or even Huguette please feel free to pass it my way!