A surprising continuity...

Given how humankind operates (and by that I'm refering to how the will of "the people" - aka the marketplace - eventually prevails, even if it means destroying, beyond memory, that which came before), frankly I'm shocked that so many religions have stayed as intact as they have over the centuries. And by intact, I am specifically refereing to the somber rituals and austere environs that so many houses of worship still manage to maintain.

When your local pizza parlor faces a slump, maybe they will install a plasma television or redecorate the place to look like a spacestation. When the art museum gets dusty, maybe they knock it over and put in a mini-mall. So why then haven't churches installed those comfy chairs like the ones at the movie theater? Why not beer service in the mosques, like at the ballpark? And can we do something about the cold, gloom and doom feeling of the room? Shag carpets and maybe a Jenny Holzer piece to stimulate the senses would certainly add modern flair. Listen, if the goal is to save souls, then does it matter how you do it? If our temples were as warm and cozy and chatty as the corner pub, well you might find that business was booming? Could it be that indeed, some things are sacred?

For a more eloquent take on this idea, read William Blake's short poem, "The Little Vagabond" here.