Building To Last

 In the last several weeks, the world's attention was brought to a beautiful cathedral located in the heart of Milan, Italy: the incredible Duomo. Standing as a testament to a time when beautiful architecture ruled and still taking away the breath of all who pass by or through it, the Duomo had its golden moment during both the Winter Olympics and Paralympics this year. Every primetime broadcast, every athletes selfie, every tourist's video showcased a gem of a building that's been standing for centuries as a symbol of strength and hope and continuity. But perhaps the most surprising thing of all is that this incredible feat of creative work took nearly six centuries to complete. 

Construction began on the Duomo back in 1386 and over half of it had been finished by 1402. However, progress stalled until 1480 due to lack of money and ideas. Over the next couple of centuries, additions were made here and there with greats such as daVinci even adding their designs to the project. In 1805, the facade was finished and the final details of the cathedral were only completed in 1965. This end date is considered the finalization of a process that had gone on for generations, although even now, a few uncarved blocks remain to be completed as statutes... a sign that progress isn't for a singular individual or time but for all of history. 

This fascinating journey of one building's journey gave me reason to pause as I realized how instant and impatient our modern day world has become. Almost nothing we make or do nowadays is intended to last and almost everything about our daily life comes with a hack or tip that is supposed to save us time or make life easier for us. The struggle of having to wait and work for a long term result is almost completely lost on the present generations thanks to the presence of our technology and the society we live in. We have forgotten in many ways how to persevere and plan for something to outlive our own life - to create a legacy that exceeds us and can benefit the world for generations to come. 

In past centuries, people were more aware of what they were leaving behind them. Investing in property that could be passed down through generations, starting a business that would last and employ future members of your family, keeping a written record of your thoughts and hopes and dreams that others could someday read after you were gone, putting your money or time into things that blew open the doors of possibility for future generations were all things that meant something to the average person back then. It's what drove America's founding fathers to take the risks they did in the name of life, fortune, and sacred honor so that they're descendants could have a better life. It's what motivated the greatest humanitarians, the best authors, the prolific poets, the finest composers, the incredible artists, the architects who have shaped our world - to leave something greater than you found it and to gift the world with a piece of yourself that would outlive you. 

In our lives today, most of us are just living to survive. Just doing our best to get by and pay bills and do what we can so that there's a roof over our heads, food on the table, and maybe some money for something fun every now and then. If we were to ask ourselves if we're building anything that will last, many would have to answer no. Perhaps some of us work in a career where we can say that we're investing in the future or the next generation but really, a lot of what we do is simply focused on our own small moment in time. And then one day, that moment is up and we are gone... then what is left? 

The builders of the Duomo didn't mind that they wouldn't see the fulfillment of their dream in their lifetime. They were content to do their part in building something that would last, generation after generation giving their contribution. And part of the beauty of that cathedral we see now is that it wasn't erected in a single generation or time. It took centuries of people slowly dedicating their creativity in order for it to become the awe-inspiring piece that we see today. We admire it partly because it connects us to a sense of being part of a long line of history and something bigger than the small bit of time we live in now. Studies show that, in order for you to be born in this time from twelve previous generations, you'd need a total of over 4,000 ancestors in the last 400 years whose survival of hardships, silent battles, tears, moments of joy, love stories, and dreams were whispered into the future just so you could be here now, alive in this sliver of history. 

You are more than just your one tiny piece of time. You were meant to leave something of yourself in this life that somebody, somewhere can benefit from. You were created to reflect the imaginative nature of the Maker Himself and to built a life and a legacy that will outlast you. You don't have to settle for trying to build an empire in one lifetime. You can be content with adding your one beautiful piece to the cathedral of the human race, knowing that someone in the future will be blessed by what you left behind. Perhaps it's time we think bigger and dream larger. Maybe it's okay if we imagine things that come about beyond our own lifetime. Maybe it's good that we pray prayers and have hopes that exceed us. For, in doing so, we sow seeds into the future that may someday change the world.