One of the main things I planned to do in London was visit the museums. The National Gallery not only has a great location on Trafalgar Square but a terrific collection, a truly great museum. So much beauty through almost every historical period. I spent an afternoon here.
I was struck by how much more crowded the modern period was than the rest of the museum. Clearly these artists knew it was time to do something different. Their paintings speak to people
today.
It was a great treat to see famous paintings that I knew only from pictures in books. I think my favorite was Jesus breaking bread for the two disciples at Emmaus by Caravaggio. The colors and the use of shadows are stunning. It made one of my favorite Resurrection stories so much more vivid.
I wander through the rooms until I find a painting that hits me. Then I am always grateful if there is a bench where I can sit and look at it for a while. For me museums are a spiritual experience, not just because they have religious paintings like Caravaggio's, but because the beauty of the paintings reveal God to me. They draw me into God.
I am friendly with a painter who does wonderful work. He claims he doesn't believe in God. I tell him that's impossible. Beauty is another name for God.
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