I am saddened by the burning of the cathedral, and hope it is restored and rebuilt, possibly better than before. It is a marvelous architectural wonder of the world, and a historically enriched building. The destruction of historical buildings, art, and historical writings are serious crimes against human struggle, sacrifice, and historical achievements. Many are speculating it was arson, and I do seriously hope that is not the case, and instead a foolish accident that we can learn from to prevent it from ever happening again.

There are precious few historical sites from our ancient history that we can clearly reference our past from. They are destroyed over time through natural causes, or even buried under the sands of the earth and the ocean waters to become lost and forgotten. Adding the catastrophes of war to the mix, and we witness even more historical sites being destroyed as a consequence. Empires rise and fall, and their churches are often destroyed with it in order to build new centers of worship that will better conform the populace to respect the current nation.

A building is a hollow shell, with no soul, no life, and no heart. Notre Dame is fossil. It has no meaning, except what people attribute to it. It is up to us, as a people, to learn from the past, and be sure that the tragedies you described never happen again. The caretakers of these buildings often share in that hope that we can better learn the past by seeing with our own eyes the awesomeness of what these buildings look and feel like. True art often wrenches our feelings into depths we have never before fully experienced: good, bad, and ugly.

We could similarly demand that the pyramids be destroyed because of the slaves who perished to build them, but who would that enormous endeavor best serve? Perhaps we could simply allow the earth to swallow these offensive structures, and let them be wiped from our memories completely. Who alive today can say that any of these buildings are meant to be representations of a living organization that knowingly performs corrupt deeds against humanity? Does destruction of a building erase the past? Will it heal wounds by enacting revenge against a blameless structure? Are there better ways to help restore a people who are so deeply divided that they fight, abuse, and kill those those who hold different beliefs?

Humanity is redeemable when people are capable of facing adversity with kindness, and leading others to do the same. Such philosophies are often the basis of many churches that have been founded across the world. And heinous acts have also been committed by fallen practitioners who lead these churches. In this way, our history is painful to learn, but the story must be shared and heard all the same.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this event. It may certainly be a sign that a change is happening.