Heaven's Gates

Was heading out of the office to drive home when I was struck by how wonderful the golden light was everywhere. Decided I had to take a picture of something before the sun tucked itself in completely, so I decided to head to the Jakarta Cathedral. Got there just before a fairly sizable contingent of worshipers arrived, so I was able to snap this shot off without having to wait for folks to move out of the way. I really loved how the walls of the cathedral appeared so warm in the waning sunlight, so this image is my "interpretation" of what I saw and felt at the moment.

Reformation!

Most of us know of the Reformation, and of Martin Luther. There is a great film out that you might want to watch if you want to know a little more about what Martin Luther and the Reformation was all about. The movie is called... wait for it... Luther (2003. Put it this way... without Martin Luther, there would be no Protestants!

Major props, by the way, to Wikipedia, one of the greatest compendiums of knowledge out there. Here is some knowledge that you should have had from college:

"The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses, were written by Martin Luther in 1517 and are widely regarded as the primary catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Luther used these theses to display his displeasure with the Church's sale of indulgences, and this ultimately gave birth to Protestantism. Luther's popularity encouraged others to share their doubts about the Church and to protest against its medieval ways; it especially challenged the teachings of the Church on the nature of penance, the authority of the pope and the usefulness of indulgences. They sparked a theological debate that would result in the Reformation and the birth of the Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist traditions within Christianity."

"According to a report written by Philipp Melanchthon: Luther posted the Ninety-five Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, October 31, 1517. Some scholars have questioned the accuracy of this account, noting that no contemporaneous evidence exists for it. Others have countered that no such evidence is necessary, because this action was the customary way of advertising an event on a university campus. Church doors at the time functioned very much as bulletin boards. Still others suggest the posting may well have happened sometime in November 1517. Most agree that, at the very least, Luther mailed the theses to the Archbishop of Mainz, the pope, friends and other universities on that date."

Text in quotes above in orange are from wikipedia.

Time Stands Still...

... or does it? I think we all know the answer to that question. That is one of the great thing about photography... of capturing the moment! We were having lunch at the foot of the Frauenkirche in München. Seated at the foot of this beautiful cathedral, I looked up to see the symmetry you see here. What can I say, I love lines. Remember, lines are your friend. I waited a few minutes to make sure the hands of the clock were aligned as well. That said, I know some people like a bit of chaos, so I shot the image some seconds before high-noon!

Above All Kingdoms

While traveling with my family to München, we visited the beautiful Frauenkirche. While walking toward the altar, I looked up to see the Christ crucified Above All Kingdoms. I have visited many cathedrals and churches and never seen anything so powerful.

Berliner Dom

Last one for today and... yes, I decided to do another black and white photograph. I really think architecture looks better that way. Anyway, so this is the Berliner Dom (the Berlin Cathedral). Itis a Lutheran cathedral on Museum Island in the Mitte district of the city, built between 1895 and 1905.

During the Second World War, the building was bombed by the Allies and severely damaged (quite tragic how many beautiful buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the war). A temporary roof was installed to protect what remained of the interior and in 1975 reconstruction started. The restoration of the interior was begun in 1984 and in 1993 the church reopened.

Werder, Germany

Spent a wonderful day in Werder, Germany. Great weather for sightseeing. Here is an interior shot of the Heilig Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) in Werder, Germany. Werder, also called Werder (Havel) or Werder upon Havel, is located in the Potsdam-Mittelmark Kreis (district) of Brandenburg, one of Germany's sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), just west of the region's capital city of Potsdam. Werder’s eastern border fronts on the Havel river, a tributary of the Elbe, and Werder’s oldest quarter is located on an island in the river, which is why it is also known as Havel. The name "Werder" means "water surrounded country."