Worn and Faded

My collection of LEGO spans close forty years or more. Some of the bricks and parts I use are more than a little worn and faded. In fact some of the parts have seen better days. Yet even then they are still usable. They will serve the purpose they are needed for. Some of the bricks have dings and scratches. They are far from new or pristine. Yet they still serve an important function in the nature of the build.

The churches I build are pretty much brand new designs. They come from inside my own creative mind. A understanding of the church building and what is involved. However when I am sitting down and building. I am seeing a parish that has been around for more than a few generations. A parish that has stood the test of time.

In this case I don’t need the bricks to be new. I need them to look like they have seen an impressive story unfold before I’ve even taken the time to write the chapter. Considering the story that I am trying to tell, a snapshot of parish life, I want the churches to look like they have existed for a very long time.

When you look into the history of the church itself. The buildings often know the story of our lives. They have seen the impressive joys and victories. Yet they have also seen our bitter sorrow and defeats. If the bricks of the church could talk. They would tell of impressive stories of the life that makes up our parishes. These places that we often call our spiritual home. It is a personal importance to me that my builds reflect this.

The fact that I don’t want The Project to look new and shiny is a reflection of how important I see our parishes. Something that holds firm against the nature of the world around us. If you look at a parish building long enough. You see the chips and cracks in some of the bricks. Sections that are also worn and faded. Not unlike the builds I have.

One of the many goals I have with The Project is to build something that looks like it could have existed for a long time. To share the story of our faith in the bricks of the parishes that have stood firm. Considering that the story I’m telling with my work is as old as the Catholic faith itself. -

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