Not the Notre Dame we'd Anticipated

I'm not sure that I've ever been more confused.  And as an American living in France, I am confused often.

It was a beautiful day in Paris - a rare occasion.  With my jet lagged best-friend-since-third-grade in tow, after our GEM gathering, we hit all of the major sites (in a mere 24 hours):  The Louvre, Angelina's, the Eiffel Tower, Champs Élysée, l'Arch de Triomphe, Sacré Coeur, and, finally, Notre Dame.

We had just a few hours before our train departed Paris for Aix-les-Bains so Jordan rested outside with our luggage while Whitney and I entered the large, beautiful, famous cathedral.  We wondered at the stained glass windows, burning candles, and large pipe organ.  As we walked past a priest, available for confessions, we talked about the idea of conversing with him.  What does it look like to be a priest at such a large and famous church?  Does he know the Gospel?  Are there regular attendees here?

Just then, a woman wearing a large cross around her neck made eye contact with me and hesitated.

"Do you speak French?" she asked.  "Or English?"

"Yes," I replied.  "I speak both."

"Where are you from?" she asked in English.

"The United States."

"Oh," she said, "I know your country well - from when Reagan was President..."  And so began her 5 minute monologue.  She talked about being a volunteer but not going bankrupt; she talked about 3 and 4, 4 and 3, holy numbers; if you give, you receive.  All along, grasping my purse, I just wanted to ask her:  Who are you?  At first I thought she was a volunteer for the cathedral, but as she talked about giving, saying "It's up to you," I finally stole a glance at Whitney and moved away, thinking that, perhaps, she was actually a scam artist or beggar.

"Was she speaking English?" I said jokingly to Whitney.

"Umm, I'm not sure," she replied seriously.  "I only understood every third word.  I thought she was maybe mixing French and English...or another language."

The day before, while visiting Sacré Coeur, we commented that, unfortunately, such an ornate cathedral, created as a place of worship, almost made us worship the work of man rather than God; however we also observed the respectful way tourists viewed the church.

At Notre Dame, quickly walking away from the strange woman, we both felt a heaviness and darkness around us.  We continued through the cathedral, suddenly saddened at the lack of respect and holiness of the church.  Everywhere we looked there were people taking pictures, despite the clear "No Cameras" signs.  There were even people selling medallions and touristy trinkets.  And what just happened with that lady?  We couldn't get out of the church quickly enough.

If you can't be 'em, join 'em.  Yes, I took this
picture inside of Notre Dame.

Once outside, the strangeness continued as we watched a newly married Asian couple take pictures.  A man carrying a pigeon on his head offered his bird to the groom.  What couple doesn't want a pigeon resting on their hands in their wedding photos?!

Needless to say, Notre Dame was not the experience we'd anticipated, but it was a good reminder of the spiritual state of this country and why we are here:  to share the Gospel with those who have not yet heard.  May His Name be made great among the nations.