What if you could build the Kingdom of Heaven? What would it look like?
My eyes were immediately drawn to the image above the main door: Christ Pantocrator, "All Mighty". Huge slabs of wood set in elaborately carved marble frames stood between the Narthex and the interior of the temple. These would admit the faithful, but provide a barrior of safety or the Catechumens who had not yet been Chrismated. As I looked at the thousands of golden tiles in the vaulted ceiling, and the various colors and patterns of marble that formed the walls, I was grateful to know that Justinian had provided for the Catechumans a taste of the delights that awaited them.
When Orthodox enter the Divine Liturgy, we step outside of Chronos time into Kairos time. The eternal NOW. And for a space, we are in the Kingdom of Heaven. It happens every Sunday, in small and great parishes, all over the world.
The central doors remained closed. These were for the Emperor alone. We made our entrance through one of four side doors. I looked at the deep grooves worn into the marble threshold and thought of hundreds of thousands who had gone here before me. What had it meant to them to be in this place? I imagined the scent of incense. I could almost hear the chanters, singing me into the Kingdom...
LIGHT. It is the first thing I remember. Thousands of lights suspended in heavy iron chandeliers that appeared to float above my head. Sharp shafts of sunlight that plunged from windows in the dome to the floor below. I imagined curls of incense climbing those shafts of light. "Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense."
What, after all, is the relationship beatween beauty and worship? Does it matter?
I was assaulted by a thousand images clamoring for my attention. For a while, I simply exhulted in the extravagance...the images banging around in my head like echoes. And then...certain images became clarified in my vision, as if a hand had turned my face to say, "See this." Sometimes the hand belonged to one of my children.
Four cherubim fly above the pillars which support the enormous dome. When Hagia Sophia was tragically corrupted following the Turkish invasion, the faces of these were covered with medallions. One of the cherubim has been completely restored and now flies magestically above the heads of those who walk there.
In the half-dome directly above the altar is one of the most famous images of the Theotokos (Mother of God) in the world. I had bought an icon of her just the day before. I stood before her, reciting prayers about tenderness and compassion, traits which she understands so well.
I allowed myself a moment to appraise the building with a purely artistic eye, considering columns, ribs, vaults, color... I quickly realized that, for me, it was impossible to separate the extraordinary beauty of this place with the faith which had given her birth.
We climbed the stone ramp to the balcony. The smooth, worn stones gave testimony to the many who had climbed this way before us. I wish I knew more about how this balcony area was used. It houses some of the most significant mosaics/icons in Christendom. The most striking for me was The Last Judgement.
It was the eyes that captivated me. In The Last Judgement, Christ is seated in the center with His mother on His right and John the Baptist on His left. Their eyes convey an unbelievable weightiness and sadness. My own eyes filled with tears as I considered them. So much they have done to rescue us from ourselves. So often we have chosen our own way, even if it meant our own destruction. No words. Just images. But a deep, profound story in those eyes.
*Addendum: In 1453, Ottoman Turks invaded the city of Constantinople. Within hours, they had converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. She bears their influence still. A Mihrab in the section of the altar that faces Mecca. A screened balcony which allowed the Sultan to attend prayers unseen. A Sadirvan outside for ceremonial washing. Four minarets, one of which was used to issue the call to prayer. There is a sense in which this makes me deeply sad. But when I stood in that place, these pieces became immaterial. For that moment, my soul was wed with the many who had given themselves to God there, who had received the Body and the Blood, who had entered the Kingdom. May their memory be eternal...
oh, how glorious! I am so thrilled for you that you get the opportunity to experience what so many Orthodox believers would love to experience - the glory that is the Hagia Sophia. A friend years ago said she wanted to print up t-shirts that said "Free Hagia Sophia" a la hollywood's infamous cries of "free tibet" :) My kids will be jealous to hear all about it, we have spent several months this year studying Turkey.
Posted by: Anna | 27 May 2010 at 09:45 PM
Beautiful - and you are right, the memory of those Christians still lingers there!
Posted by: Karissa Sorrell | 07 June 2010 at 02:36 PM