Assignment 1

“I want you to build for me the greatest church in Europe!”

The architect nervously glanced up from his coffee cup to find the eccentric priest intently staring at him. “Father, I can only dream of living in the shadows of the men who created the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Notre Dame,-”

The young man was cut off. “You don’t understand, boy. I have had dreams. Dreams of a church so close to God, I could see his Kingdom when the sky was clear.”

“You know the city has limits on the heights on new buildings.”

“What man allows another to limit his closeness to his god?”

There was no reply. The priest looked beyond the architect, beyond the city limits, lost in his thoughts. The side of his mouth twitched into a small smile and his blue eyes clouded over for a moment.

By the time the priest shook himself from his dream-like state, his young friend was digging through his wallet to grab change for his drink. He gave the priest an apologetic smile. “Drink’s on me, Father.”

The old man nodded. “Thank you, son. I am sorry you can’t help me.”

The younger man shrugged and stood. He excused himself from the table and told the priest he would see him on Sunday.

“Hmm.” The elder man leaned back in his chair, eyes cast up the mountains that shaded his small, secular town. I know what I must do, and I know just how my work should look.