(This post is from Dan Beirne)

We sang in a beautiful Chapel today whose every detail emulated the praise and worship that took place within it, but to really convey this meaningful experience to you, I am going to start at the end…

“Why did we sing to no one at the Chapel?!”

That is one of the first questions that a student tossed my way when we exited the Sanctuary. After I admitted the oddity of singing to an empty Chapel, with no congregation or audience, I pointed out with a smirk that the Chapel was far from empty. We sang to God. I’m pretty sure the student rolled her eyes, but that brief conversation left me thinking.

This Chapel was no ordinary Chapel, as it was built to host the voices of four different faiths. Divided into four different sections, individuals of Buddhist, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths could call this place of worship their spiritual home. Each spiritual nook was laced with deep theological symbolism and religious meaning that was particular to the details of each respective faith. Ancient scrolls with the Torah in the Jewish temple connected the modern day worshiper with their roots. Amber colored stained glass in the Catholic Chapel replicated the ambiance of the caves and caverns that housed early Christians as the worshiped their forbidden religion. The Buddhist Temple walls had windows that, with a little imagination, looked as if the Himalayas themselves were waiting on the other side. None of the details in these chapels were accidental; the whole building, no matter which religious space we were in, emulated a focus on the spiritual.

So as I think of that student’s words again, “Why did we sing to no one?” it makes me smile…I don’t know if I’ve ever set foot in a place that was as full as this Chapel. Replete with the images and tones of millennia of Man’s spiritual journey, it was an honor to be in such holy and diverse company. And, to sing there – to contribute to the holy atmosphere of God’s home- what a pleasure.

No Chapel is empty, for ever color and every detail points to the presence of the One to whom we sing.