Today’s Photo Friday theme is Divine. I posted this pencam shot of a stained glass window panel from Boston’s Gargoyles Grotesques & Chimeras (aka “the Gargoyle Shop”) on my birthday back in January. No, I’m not egomaniacal enough to compare myself with Christ on my birthday; it just happens that I was born on the Christian feast of the epiphany, which I considered good enough reason to post a picture I particularly liked.

As much as I like to admire religious iconography (and yes, I find myself wandering churches whenever I travel even though I don’t frequent one at home), I seldom take photos inside of churches. Back when I was a graduate student at Boston College and used to spend an occasional moment meditating in the chapel in Saint Mary’s Hall, I remember a particularly obnoxious pair of tourists once coming in, talking loudly, and taking lots of photos of the place even though I was obviously sitting there “using” it. Ever since, I’ve been particularly hesitant to disturb the interior quiet of a church even if there aren’t worshippers around; somehow, simply imbibing the spiritual essence of an intentionally sacred place is enough, and taking photos seems excessive. Whether or not this self-imposed photo abstinence in churches makes sense, I had no qualms shooting a stained glass window inside an art and architectural shop.

I’ll be leaving later this morning to make a weekend trip to Ohio, so I’ll be out of the blog loop until Monday night. Until then, I hope your weekend is simply divine.