Hidden Treasures

There are many beautiful churches in Lyon, but one in particular caught my eye the other day...not because of its beauty, but because of its location. This nondescript church, situated in a predominately commercial district, was literally walled in by colorful stores on all four sides. Were it not for the height of the chapel, it would have been completely hidden.

This colorless holy place, surrounded by the temptations of boutiques and boulangeries, got me thinking about the juxtaposition of sacred and secular. The church in Lyon is not dead, as some would claim, but it is definitely cloaked beneath a veneer of predominantly postmodern and atheistic worldviews. Cathedrals are visited by thousands of people daily, although mostly as tourist attractions rather than places of worship.

One such attraction is the grand 19th century Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere, which proudly stands tall above the hillside above the Saone River. It can be reached by car or funicular, but there is another way...by foot. The church is accessible via an old staircase which lies almost hidden between two buildings. When my Dad and I tried to find the stairs, we walked right past them several times before finally noticing them.

At the top of these stairs, once we caught our breath, we were immediately captivated by the sight of a beautiful garden surrounding us. The basilica was still above us; the city spread out like a painting below us. The gardens in between were quiet and peaceful. We stood motionless and speechless, enjoying the surroundings, not feeling the need to break the silence with conversation. This is a holy place, I thought. I imagined generations of former pilgrims trekking up the hillside, resting in the shade of the garden trees, then pressing on to worship. 

After spending time in the gardens and even more time in the church, my Dad and I made our way back down to the Old City. There, we found even more hidden treasures. The city of Lyon is known for its traboules, or passageways. These traboules, which connect one building to another, were originally used by silk workers who used them to transport their delicate wares in all sorts of weather. It's rumored that some of the traboules were later used as hiding places during the revolutions and by the French resistance in World War II. Today, many traboules are used by apartment owners and shopkeepers, but are still accessible to the public. 

As we opened doors leading into the traboules, we felt like explorers entering a hidden world. We never knew what we would find...

....sometimes a beautiful courtyard...

...sometimes a scary, cobwebbed cellar...

...sometimes a winding staircase...

....always a hidden treasure, waiting to be discovered. 

As I think about these many different "hidden treasures" of Lyon, I always stop and pray that the greatest treasure of all, Jesus Christ, would be discovered by many seekers of truth and grace.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." - Matthew 13:44