A few days ago I visited La Sagrada Familia, a vast cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. Designed by Anton Gaudí in the 1800’s, after 150 years the building is still under construction, slated for completion (maybe) this decade.

Gaudí, an unknown architect before taking over the Sagrada project, believed the works of God in nature best lead us to comprehend the action of God in our lives. Gaudí remarked, originality consists in returning to the origin.

Using themes from the natural world, Gaudí returned to the originator of all things again and again in his designs. He copied the swirls of shells in stairwells, the honeycomb patterns of bees in windows, and the branching trees of the forest in supports for ceilings. He lit up his cathedral with enormous walls of light, capturing the movement of the sun. 

No church or cathedral shines like La Sagrada Familia (and I’ve been in hundreds). Light pours in through both stained and clear glass all day long, the changing angles of the sun revealing new aspects of the interior—creating a light show put on by the Lord.

Which is what Gaudí intended. He hoped people would seek God as a result of this phantasmic building. Gaudí created a space where people might perceive the light of the Lord and the truth of the Scriptures.

A psalmist once prayed: Lord, send out your light and truth; let them lead me (Psalm 43:3). Gaudí’s designs encapsulate an answer to this prayer. In the Sagrada, and well as all around us, God’s light and truth shine.

For me this raises a couple of questions. Do I take time to notice God’s light and truth quietly animating the world around me, and when I do, will I follow where they lead?

Camino de Santiago 2023

Photo from La Sagrada Familia website