Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Clock at Church of the Holy Spirit

Finely carved clock of the Church of the Holy Ghost in Tallinn, Estonia,
work by Christian Ackermann (late 17th century)
Via Wikipedia
This is the oldest public clock in Tallinn, and reminds us how important the Church was for daily life: religious services, announced by a peal of bells, would have structured the day and the week. The central sunburst on the clock refers not only to the passage of the sun across the sky, but also to the light of God, which was often depicted like this in the 17th century. The Holy Spirit frequently appears at the centre of this light and His presence can be assumed here, from the name of the church itself.
Today we combine the art and inspirational quote. That is often the case in Richard Stemp's wonderful book The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals. Not only does it, as the subhead says, decode the sacred symbolism of Christianity's holy buildings, but the author's commentary often lifts my spirit higher as he connects the realms of art, faith, and place.

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