A Roman Holiday

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's time studying abroad in Italy was not only a physical journey from Protestant Germany to Catholic Rome, but a journey from the beginnings of a toxic, isolated picture of the church to an understanding of the church as a body of believers from every nation and denomination. Bonhoeffer loved the art and the combination of the best of classical culture and Christianity present in the buildings of Italy, but the presence of all different races and cultures serving in the church also struck him. While he did not convert to the Catholic way of worship, Bonhoeffer realized that the Catholic church was as a legitimate body of Christ as his own, and that the German Lutheran church represented just a piece of the body of Christ, not the center. This realization would form the core of his resistance to Nazi Germany in later years.

My experience so far has given me new perspective, but my experience has differed from Bonhoeffer's in one very important respect. While Bonhoeffer experienced the thriving center of the Catholic church, I am experiencing the hostility towards religion left in the wake of the church in France. I can see the power and influence of the church in the buildings it left behind, from the grandeur of Notre Dame to the gold that was left on the gates of Versailles after several revolutions because of the respect the church fostered for royalty, a respect that continued even as the persons in power were killed. But here, the church is only known for worldly power, and in turn, oppression. The transformative power of Christ is entirely absent. The face of God is hidden behind the high walls of grand Cathedrals and the will of men that valued their power above the God they served. It has been a powerful reminder of the need to seek God Himself, rather than seeking to demonstrate piety outside of that relationship. If we ourselves do not know God, we risk disfiguring His face to ourselves and others.
Yet at the same time, I do not think God would have abandoned His church for so many centuries to the whim of the men in power. In this journey, I am trying to fully understand the narrative of God's work in France. Why did the Catholic church as it existed in France come about? What did it look like on a more personal level? What did it look like in the countryside, farther from the seats of power? I have the feeling that there is much more

to the story that I haven't seen, and I am excited to learn more.