The Interfaith Peace Chapel at the Cathedral of Hope - a spiritual oasis for all people at the world's largest inclusive and affirming Christian church
The Cathedral of Hope in the Oak Lawn neighborhood of Dallas, Texas is a member congregation of the mainline Protestant denomination the United Church of Christ and the world's largest LGBTQ+ affirming church.
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| Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, Texas |
It was a dismal, grey day in December when my brother and I were driving through Dallas, on our way back from visiting the Galleria luxury mall to see the annual giant Christmas tree which towers above the skating rink. It was crowded and the traffic was horrible, but it got us in the Christmas spirit all the same. Noticing that we were near the famous Cathedral of Hope, we decided to take a quick detour on the way back to our parents' home to check it out.
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| AIDS Memorial Bell Wall |
We braved the blasting icy wind and the light freezing rain as we approached the towering AIDS Memorial Wall, designed by famous architect Philip Cortelyou Johnson. It was midday on a weekday, and the doors to the church were locked. As my brother and I turned to leave, we heard a voice call out from in front of the Interfaith Peace Chapel. It was one of the church staff, who was locking up the chapel for the evening.
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| IPC, Cathedral of Hope, Dallas, TX, USA |
We spoke for a few moments and introduced ourselves. When I mentioned this blog, he very kindly offered to let us look around the chapel for a few minutes, even though it wasn't open at the time!
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| Interfaith Peace Chapel |
The Interfaith Peace Chapel, also designed by Philip Cortelyou Johnson, is a fascinating example of modern architecture. Inside, a series of LED lights can illuminate the chapel in a series of bright colors, but at the time, they were turned off. It was simple, plain, and I can see how the unadorned and modern architecture can help one avoid being distracted from God. The chapel is small; quiet and peaceful. While I'm not normally a huge fan of modern architecture, I really appreciated it. Despite the dismal, grey day, I could feel how peaceful the chapel would be.
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| the interior of the chapel |
Interfaith Peace Chapel at the Cathedral of Hope
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