Semana Una; Blog Dos- 379 Palabras

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Polaroid (Individual): When touring the Sagrada Familia church, it was hard not to be amazed by its grandeur. The attention to detail, especially in the architecture depicting the birth of Jesus, was something I had not considered before. The way in Gaudi captured so many elements of scripture was breathtaking. As mentioned in Spain Culture Smart, Catholicism was the national religion of Spain until 1978, and even after its values and customs continue to shape Spanish culture. Seeing La Sagrada Familia made me more aware of the breath of influence Catholicism has on the culture of Spain, as the architecture of the Cathedral itself has been so complex and demanding that it has been under construction for over 130 years. This prompted me to reflect on the way in which I value my own faith and how I express that value in how detail-oriented I am when trying to live out my faith.



Postcard (Relational): One thing I took note of while we toured La Sagrada Familia was the way in which others around me were also responding to what we were seeing. It was fascinating to me that while there were likely hundreds of people of various cultural backgrounds visiting the cathedral, we mostly interacted similarly. What was considered culturally appropriate ways to act in La Sagrada Familia to us, was similar to that of others also visiting. We were able to interact with each other in ways that were considered cordial mostly universally. While we all have various life experiences, we all had an understanding of what was socially acceptable, such as speaking at an appropriate volume, taking turns in areas where we wanted to take pictures, moving at an appropriate pace through the church, and being mindful of others in the same space as us. This was a beneficial opportunity for me to compare my understanding of societal norms to that of those around me, something that is a part of developing CQ knowledge.



Bill Board (Social): I think that the most influential part of reflecting on our time in La Sagrada Familia for me was reflecting upon the differences and similarities between Catholic and Protestant theology. Developing CQ Knowledge is enabled through reviewing basic cultural systems, such as religion. I was raised Catholic and grew up exposed to Catholic belief and tradition prior to converting to Protestant Christianity in high school. Catholic and Protestant churches look different for a couple main reasons. For one the architecture celebrates different things, as Catholicism places greater emphasis on Mary, the Saints, and the birth of Jesus, while Protestantism focuses more on Jesus, the disciples, and the resurrection of Jesus. What was more apparent to me in visiting La Sagrada Familia, however, is the theological regarding behind how Catholic churches and cathedrals tend to be more elaborate in architecture and decoration. In Catholic theology, cathedrals are supposed so elaborate because they are supposed to honor God and pay homage to His grandeur. Protestant theology however, values simplicity in their church building because they are supposed to emphasis the importance of being humble towards God. The elaborate nature of the catholic church, by protestant philosophy, would be considered legalistic and unnecessary to being the church and worshiping God. These two theologies have been an area of internal conflict for me throughout my conversion. While I am a protestant Christian and agree with the humility and simplicity in the church building, seeing the amount of work that has been put into designing, building, and maintaining La Sagrada Familia has made me appreciate the sincerity of devotion to God that is expressed through its architecture. The extent of the intentionality when making this cathedral clearly shows a biblical and authentic passion for honoring God as the ultimate authority.

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