The Cathedral

The mind is like a cathedral, with vaulted ceilings and an architecture of brilliantly complex geometry.  But not just the main chapel: the place is even larger than that.  There are guest rooms and offices and gardens and so on.  And most surprising of all; the place is inhabited!  Crowded with guests and functionaries at all times, a true house of spirits.

And amongst these strange beings you will also find… yourself.  You may be surprised to meet him, but this small and competent servant is actually the guest-master.  It is his (your) job to see that all the inhabitants and guests have found their rooms and have all they need. 

All goes along, both busy and also peaceful, through the daily routines of services and meals, sentient beings of all kinds, coming and going.  Some pass through quickly, leaving no trace.  Others take up permanent residence.  Some even end up joining the staff. 

And one day a most honored guest arrives: the great dragon, of all colors and none, who freezes with fire and sound.  He has a hundred pairs of wings stretched out along his sinuous body, and a hundred pairs of legs.  Each pair is of a different beast: a pair of lion’s legs, ox’s legs, eagle’s legs, legs of a human, and so on. 

The guest master bows before him and says, “welcome back, my lord!  Such a pleasure to see again after so long!” 

“You as well, my beloved.  But I cannot stay long. I have an urgent task, and I need your help.”

“Of course, my lord, anything you ask!  Anything at all!  It would be my great honor to be of service.”

“It delights me to hear you say that.  I know that you will be able to handle it.  Here is the thing.  Very soon, there will be a great flood.  An entire city will wiped out.  I must go and lead the people out.  And they will need some place to stay, for they will be homeless and destitute while their city is being rebuilt.  (And that city may never be rebuilt.)  I will lead them here.  You must make room for them.”

“But my lord, this is terrible!  In your great power, is there nothing you can do to prevent this tragedy?”

“Yes, there is.  I am bringing them to you.  The city is nothing.  The people are all that matter.”

“Yes, but all the rooms are full!  We have no room for even a family, let alone an entire city!”

“You must make room.  This is the task I give you.  Anyway, this place is huge.  I should know- I built it myself.  What about the East and South Wings?”

“They are full of the people who have come for the celebration!”  (There is always, at any given time, some celebration or festival coming up.)

“And the northern Hall?”

“You know that the northern Hall is reserved for the spirits of the ancestors, for when they return on the final day.”

“Yes, of course.  I forgot.  The Eastern Chapel?”

“That is where the choir sings.  Only those who sing may reside there.  The choirmaster is quite firm on this.”

“He is indeed.” 

And so it goes with the other rooms, each place dedicated to those who are permitted.

“What shall we do, my lord?”

“This is your task.  You must decide.”

“Well… there is one other option.  I don’t like to think of it…”

“Yes?”

“The catacombs, beneath the temple.  They go on for miles.  In theory, there is room…”

“Sounds alright.  What is the problem?

“You must understand, no one ever goes down there!  It is filled with corpses and spiders and rats and… dirt!”  If you had not noticed before now, the guest master is something of a snob.

“You tell me, my dear guest master.  Is there another option?”

“Well, no.”

“Then you have your task.  You must open the place up.  Bring some light down there.  Clean and polish all the marble.  Smooth out the floors and put fresh hay down on the floors.  Make sure the exits are clearly marked.  Don’t worry about the spiders and the rats.  They will stay out of the light, once there is some.  But hurry up!  You have much to do in a short time.”

“Yes my Lord.”

“Oh, and one last piece of advice.  Ask the others here to help.  All of them.  They will gladly volunteer when they hear what is needed.  And you certainly won’t be able to do it alone.” 

“Yes, my Lord.  Thank you” 

Please do not forget.  This is why you have strangers living in the tombs of your mind.  They are the homeless, the strangers from afar who haunt the crypts and make strange noises in the night, singing their strange songs.  Remember to be a gracious host for the sake of the one who brought them to you.