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Jun 17, 2023·edited Jun 17, 2023Liked by Danny Anderson

Enjoyed your piece. I recall learning about Salisbury Cathedral in my art history textbook. I've gotten to visit some of its brethren like Canterbury and The York Minister, but that was years ago. I remember back then, if you know the band Delirious?, they were doing a concert tour of the U.K. I didn't see them, but the contrast of the modern with the ancient somehow intrigued me though traditional evensongs are amazing. I probably had a similar feeling to you coming from California to the U.K. The oldest relics we have are Spanish missions, and it's hard to explain those to British friends since they somewhat pale in comparison while being centuries younger.

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Yes! I was talking to that volunteer priest that I mentioned in the piece and was kind of embarrassed at how little history we have, in comparison. It is really breathtaking and I fell in love with the absence of modernity. Thanks for commenting!

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Jun 15, 2023Liked by Danny Anderson

I love this reflection. While I certainly have some sympathy for the concern that the Church has spent such resources to build these monolithic structures, at the same time, they do embody the grandeur and majesty of God, don’t they? They also serve as a kind of memory, an artifact of the Church’s place in a society that would often rather forget. It’s a complex thing, no doubt, but I just can’t help but see these places as sacred and profound.

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Totally right there. There is a definite tension built into the resources spent on these spaces. I don’t want to ignore that at all

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