The Pool of the Arches
Ramla, on the road from Cairo
to Damascus and so in modern day Israel, was once the capital of the Islamic
province of Palestine and among its remarkable buildings was an underground
water cistern, commissioned in 789,
with a ceiling supported by numerous
pointed arches. “Archaeologists believe this cistern is the
first known use in the Arab world of the pointed arch, which eventually became
a defining characteristic of Islamic architecture. These arches ‘freed
architects both to raise their structures and also leave them spacious and
airy,’” (BBC Travel, 9 March 2017).
Ramla was a meeting place for east
and west and its pointed arches – two pillars “leaning” on one another - can be taken as a symbol of Islam meeting
Christianity and the positive influence of the one on the other. The pointed
arch originated in Persia and as its strength became better known it was
adopted all over medieval Europe to build soaring cathedrals.
This simple architectural device
symbolises the fact that we need each other. We live in a time when Muslims are
suspicious and fearful of the Christian or post- Christian world. It was not
always like that. We used to live together and share each other’s discoveries.
Our numbering system – 12345 – comes from the Muslim world, as does much else.
The texts of Aristotle, which influenced much medieval and modern philosophy
and theology, were preserved by the Muslims.
It is crazy that we live in fear
of one another when we should be “leaning” on one another so that together we
can lift up our struggling world which aches for justice and respect. Even a
family can be seen as pointed arch! The mother “leans” on the father and the
husband on the wife. Together they support their family – and enable each one
to grow.
In Lent, promise and suffering
“lean” on one another and support a person on their journey to the fullness of
life. In this second week we have the story of the promise to Abraham who is to
“leave your country.” A glimpse of where he, and all of us who call him “our
father in faith”, will eventually arrive is given in the manifestation of Jesus
in glory on the mountain. The climax of the Abraham story is the sacrifice of
Isaac, his son, on another mountain. And the climax of Jesus’ mission was his
death on Calvary. Jesus links Calvary with the scene the disciples witnessed on
the mountain. “Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from
the dead.” Then they will understand.
So, joy “leans” on suffering and
we sometimes attend funerals where we do not know whether to rejoice or weep.
Our joy is laced though with suffering and our suffering is bursting forth with
Jesus from the tomb. Both are always present if we can but notice. Neither
stands alone. An isolated pillar will soon fall.
12 March 2017 Lent 2 A
Genesis 12: 1-4 2 Timothy 1:8-10 Matthew 17:1-9
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