Need to Worship

We have visited many different sites dedicated to many different gods. We have seen churches turned into mosques, and temples turned into museums. What do all of these holy sites teach us?

In Istanbul we visited the Hagia Sophia. Originally a Christian church, the Hagia Sophia was later converted into a mosque. During this conversion process minarets were raised and the beautiful mosaics were covered over with plaster. A piece of Christian heritage was covered over in a battle of ideology. What strikes me as most interesting about this process is that the site of worship never actually changed. The building was changed, the artwork was destroyed, but the actual site remained a site of worship.

We also visited the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is so named because of the beautiful blue decorations that cover the inside of the building. The minarets at the mosque call out to the people five times a day, reminding them to pray to Allah. The Blue Mosque has not been turned into a museum, and Muslims can still go to worship there today.

When we visited the city of Aphrodisius we learned about the importance of beauty as it relates to worship. Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty, and the entire city reflected this ideal. Aphrodisius as a city is an example of incorporated worship. Worshiping the goddess of beauty wasn't limited to just a temple, it was seen throughout the architecture, even in the stadium with the tall mountains in the background.

In the caves above Ephesus we had the opportunity to visit a unique Archeological site. Inside the caves were frescos painted with early Christian scenes. There was a fresco of Paul and Thekla, with Thekla's mother looking disapproving in the background. In the back of the cave all twelve apostles were painted. The fact that someone took the time to paint these scenes shows the importance of religious identity, and the importance of stories and tradition.

In Rhodes we visited the Grand Master's Palace which was established by the order of St. John after the Crusades in the 14th century. I find it really interesting that the knights of St. John did not return to Europe after the crusades. They settled on Rhodes, fulfilling one of the original missions of the Crusades: colonize land for Christ. They established a site for Christendom close to modern day Turkey.

In Delphi we saw the Temple of Apollo, the site where the famous Oracle of Delphi gave prophesies to people from all over Greece. This site was respected by all the Greek city states, even when they were at war with each other. The desire for prophesy reflects a desire to know fate, and a desire to be connected with the divine.

When we visited Meteora we got to see a Greek Orthodox nunnery and monastery. These holy sites were built high on the smooth mountain rocks; a place where God and nature meet. People lived at these places because they wanted to know God, and they wanted to be in a place where they could reflect on the things of God.
I could say a lot more about all of these sites, I realize that I have barely skimmed the surface. From my descriptions I think it is obvious that these different sites of worship were very different, and all beautiful in their own way. So what's the common theme that runs through all these sites?

One thing that comes immediately to my mind is the universal need to worship. People desire to know God, and people desire answers to the unknowable questions. People want to feel connected to something larger than this small world. Through religion and holy sites we are able to leave this world and soar among the heavens.

Another thing that comes to mind is the need for a physical holy site. In order to understand God and the divine, people want a site dedicated to this pursuit. In many of the places we visited the sites were used to worship different God's at different times, but the site itself always remained a place of worship.

In my ideal world everyone would be a Christian and there would be no dispute over religion. No matter how much I wish it, it is not so. Different people and cultures have different beliefs. One thing I take comfort in is the almost universal pursuit of God. I know the questions I'm asking are important because they are questions that have been asked from generation to generation and from culture to culture.