An answer for VTS

Photo by B. Cayce Ramey, VTS Class of 2012

Over this week following the devastating fire which destroyed Immanuel Chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary, the school's the Dean and President, the Very Rev'd Ian Markham, has led a worldwide community through their surprise and sadness over the lose of that long-prayed-in space. Today he announced that officials of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with members of the Alexandria Fire Department during their six-day investigation determined the fire which began in the sacristy to have been accidental.

I appreciate his clear, concise, compassionate words taken in part from his daily commentary posted on the seminary's website.

We have learned the cause of the fire. It was an accident; no one is to blame. So we take a breath and offer the entire tragedy to God. There are some moments which are transforming. This is one of those moments.

Now we start the hard work of moving on. Last night we gathered in Scott Lounge for worship. Scripture was read with passion; we sang praises to the Lord God; and we bowed our heads in prayer. God was present in that place.

Everyone who has been associated with VTS since that building was built in 1881 has memories. And, most certainly, those who watched it burn last week will have what they saw imprinted on their memories forever.

But, he's exactly right. We now know what we need to know.

Amen.

It's only a building

Spent a few damp minutes mid-morning today as I struggled to take in the news of the chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria -- lost yesterday afternoon in a catastrophic fire. No one was in the building at the time, blessedly, and none of the other buildings on campus were affected, thanks to the determined efforts of Alexandria firefighters.

The photographs here are all borrowed, the one of the chapel's interior (immediately below) from a photograher identified only as Ronnie R on flickr and those of the building as it burned from the online album of an individual who witnessed the scene, known on Facebook as bcramey.









The most stark view, however, and what brought the building's loss into deep reality for me is from the iPhone of Dr Stephen L Cook, professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. His steady, silent movement from the vicinity of the library toward the chapel, the only commentary footsteps through the dry fall leaves and the wail of approaching emergency vehicles, chilled my blood and brought on the relief of tears.

Click here for Dr Cook's video (it's a safe link): Biblische Ausbildung: Fire at Virginia Seminary!#links#links

While it is only a building, it was a place of refuge, of comfort, of challenge, of inspiration, indeed, a memory-maker for many thousands. Everyone of us will grieve the trauma of its destruction.