THE EARTH CONQUERS
When I wander through the cool, marble halls of a mosque or marvel at the gilded vaults of a Christian church, I cannot help thinking that the sky is still blue outside, the sun still shines upon the same roofs. One day, when the Earth chooses to claim back its own – when marble blocks are jumbled, when gold is buried deep – what will all this lofty ambition amount to?
The Earth, no matter where you stand, is the same. All men ultimately walk the same path, no matter what they build in their minds or with their hands. Ancient religion with all its idiosyncrasies, faults and beliefs leaves nothing but broken monuments and quaint beliefs for future generations to study and wonder at.
If one looks at the pyramids of Egypt, the Acropolis of Athens or the Aztec monuments of Mexico, you can see how time mocks firm belief; how the Earth ultimately conquers all. What is the enchantment and mystery of man-made monuments when we are surrounded by the incredible temple of the sky, the majesty of the Earth beneath our feet?
