The Restoration of Notre-Dame

When fire consumed Notre-Dame de Paris on April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as the iconic spire collapsed into the burning nave. But what struck master restorer Frédéric Létoffé most wasn't the destruction — it was the discovery. As crews carefully removed charred timbers, they found that medieval builders had carved personal marks into hidden beams, signatures invisible for eight hundred years. Those craftsmen understood something profound: even the parts no one would ever see belonged to something sacred.

For five years, thousands of artisans worked to restore every stone, every joint, every fragment of stained glass. They didn't improvise or cut corners. Each piece was returned to its original purpose because the cathedral was not just any building — it was consecrated space, set apart for glory.

Paul writes to the Corinthians with that same urgency. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?" Not warehouses. Not rental properties. Temples. The Greek word Paul uses — naos — refers specifically to the inner sanctuary, the holiest place where God's presence dwells.

The Corinthians argued, "I have the right to do anything." Paul didn't disagree. He simply reminded them that freedom isn't the highest value — honoring the One who purchased you is. Like those medieval craftsmen who treated hidden beams with the same reverence as the grand facade, we are called to honor God with every part of ourselves, seen and unseen, because we belong — body and soul — to the Almighty.