Ten plagues

If I'd planned this in advance, I would have a ten day countdown to Passover and would cover each of the plagues, but I'm not that organized. Plus it's a busy time of year for a blogger with general religious themes, with us now entering Holy Week for Christianity, and of course there are the developments in the Catholic Church with the new Pope Francis. Plus I've just run across some other nice MOCs I wanted to feature. Anyway, let's just feature the first plague, illustrated here by E.B..

The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone.” Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. - Exodus 7:19-20

Palm Sunday

Over on KidsChurchIdeas they've got some ideas for a LEGO Easter Club. This layout has different sections illustrating different parts of the Easter week story, but there in the middle we see the road leading into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday: 'On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”' John 12:12,13.

Burning bush

Here are three versions of Moses and the burning bush. "The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. ... He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Exodus 3:2,6

Athos.


Ben King.


Marcus Goodyear.

Plight of the Israelites

As we lead up to next week's Passover, recall the Plight of the Israelites (by Digger1221): So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. Exodus 1:11-14 NIV.

Dambulla Cave Temple

The Dambulla Cave Temple, or Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a network of caves in a huge rock that towers above the surrounding area of Sri Lanka. The five caves have been a holy site for over two thousand years, and include many statues of the Buddha, including a reclining Buddha over 15 meters long, as well as a couple of statues of Hindu deities. Jackie Britton made this LEGO rendition.

Tumnus and the Lamppost

Noah McClung built this amazing sculpture based on Lewis' allegorical work, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Pope Francis

A couple of LEGO renditions of the new Roman pontiff have emerged: Greg50's Habemus Papum and Custom Concepts' custom Francis.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

In the US, Saint Patrick's Day is more of an excuse to party, but it's actually the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick lived in what is now northwest England in the late fourth century. As a teen he was captured and taken to Ireland, where he lived as a slave for six years, before escaping and returning home. He later became a priest and returned to Ireland, where he helped bring Christianity to the people there. These two creations by Bricko and Finn Tegotash show his life in captivity.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Since I don't know of any LEGO renditions of the new Pope (yet - c'mon, Catholic LEGO builders), let's take a look at his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi (here by Constant Concepts). Francis was an Italian friar who lived from 1181-1226. He founded three religious orders, and is particularly known for his love for the poor. From the news I've read about the new Pope, this seems to be one of his primary motivations in choosing the name Francis. The saint was also famously a lover of nature, and legends that sprang up after his death recount stories of him preaching to the birds and calming a vicious wolf. No word yet if the new Pope is much of an outdoorsman. John Paul II loved skiing, so maybe we'll see Pope Francis backpacking in the wilderness. :) Okay, probably not.

Not -that- white smoke

Pedro Nogueira Photography commemorates the 'white smoke' that marks the election of Pope Francis with a Special effects technician.

Noah's Ark

Monsterbrick made his own version of Noah's Ark.

Tiny little ecumenical town

Jennifer Heaton and Nathan Stohlmann recently put on a micropolis display at a local library. The reason to note it here is that they included several religious structures. My favorite is Jennifer's Hindu temple, with the riot of color reflective of many real temples, but we also see a mosque, a Buddhist temple, a traditional cathedral, and a synagogue. Thanks, Peter, for the tip, and for the correction.

Noah's Ark

Over on the MOCpages group the 4% they are holding a Genesis contest. Matthew Oh made this Noah's Ark.

Sede vacante

Yesterday was Pope Benedict's final day in office. On Wednesday he held his final general audience in Saint Peter's Square, the large open area at the front of the Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica and Square by Arthur Gugick



Normally, there would be an official period of mourning before moving forward, but as Benedict is the first Pope in centuries to retire, rather than pass away, this is not needed. So very soon the Cardinals will gather in conclave. Cardinal by Bikicsmilan.



After a celebration of the Eucharist, they will seal themselves in the Sistine Chapel. Creation of Adam by Brendan Powell Smith.



The Cardinals will go through a series of secret ballots, and presumably much prayer and discussion. If they do not come to a decision, the ballots are burned, and an additive makes the smoke from the burning black. The smoke announces to the waiting world that a decision has not yet been made. Sede vacante by Jojo.



In past centuries the voting could go on for quite a long time before a Pope is chosen, even years. In more recent conclaves, the rules have been changed so that after a set number of days of ballots there is a run-off between the top vote-getters, so that a decision is ensured within two weeks of the opening of the conclave. At the point where a decision is made, the ballots are burned in a way that white smoke is released, and the declaration is made 'Habemus Papum' 'We have a Pope'. Habemus papum by Jojo.

Purim

This past weekend was Purim, a holiday in which Jews celebrate the defeat of a genocidal plot against them, as described in the book of Esther. Purim is a festive time, with parties and treats, but observant Jews also observe four mitzvot (commandments), as illustrated here in LEGO by Joanna Brichetto.

Mikra Megillah - listening to the public reading of the story of Esther (plus a related passage from the book of Exodus)


Seudah Purim - celebrating a festive meal (note Joanna's custom LEGO-scale hamantaschen, a traditional Purim pastry).


Mishloach Manot - sending gifts of food to others


Matanot l’Evyonim - giving charity to the poor

Interview with Jackie Britton

I've been looking forward to posting another interview, this time from Jackie Britton. As she describes below, she is on the journey of a lifetime, and there's even LEGO involved! Follow Jackie's travels on her blog, Jackie's Mid Life Crisis Gap Year, or jump straight to the photos on her Flickr stream.

GodBricks Jackie, welcome to GodBricks. Before we jump in to a discussion of your travels, let's start with a bit of background about you. Could you tell us a bit about your interest in architecture, art, history and culture?

Jackie Britton I have always been interested in buildings: as a child I used to pore over house plans in old Ideal Home Exhibition catalogues and try to design my own. I find the way people live in their houses, how spaces are laid out and used in different periods and cultures fascinating. On family holidays my parents used to take us to a lot of historic buildings and I would wander around a stately home, castle or Roman villa ruin, imagining myself living there, skipping from room to room as I enacted a day's activities in my head. Since then, my interests have grown to encompass architecture as a whole, as my delight in art generally has grown. It's hard to say why looking at buildings is so compelling for me, but it is. And as for history, I have always loved museums and have been lucky enough to spend twenty-five years working in two of the UK's best, the Science Museum and then the V&A (a museum of art and design). I still doodle house plans in boring meetings too.

GB How about your background with LEGO and other building toys? Is this something that goes back to your childhood, or is it a more recent interest?

JB I have had Lego since I was about four and spent my teenage years building bigger and more complex buildings with interiors – for some reason monasteries and research laboratories figured quite often in my output. It was only much later that I started collecting historic and contemporary building toys more generally, mostly inspired by a small exhibition in London put on by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects). It had about fifteen or twenty exhibits and I felt a visceral urge to own them all, so off I went looking for them in antique markets and then eBay, only to discover that many hundreds or even thousands of different sets have been produced worldwide since the mid-nineteenth century. I have around 1400 items in my collection and am still finding new things on a regular basis. GB - Check out Jackie's site Architoys to see more on this.

GB Finally, are you a religious person? What is your background with religion?

JB My parents packed me off to Sunday School and I was confirmed in the Church of England when I ws in my mid-teens, but that was mostly because my friends were too (my best friend's father was a vicar). But I don't believe in any gods, spirits or other supernatural powers. I do however see religious belief as a fascinating fruit of human culture, despite all the bad things that have been and continue to be done in its name. I like to say that I regard religion as a spectator sport and certainly belief has inspired much of the world's great art and architecture.

GB Thanks for that background. I've noted your travels on this blog and on MicroBricks before, but for those readers who may be new, could you describe your whole project?

JB Some years ago I was wondering how to decide which of the many competing attractions in a particular country to visit and it struck me that one criteria could be those listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites (WHSs). As I looked into the list more, I was taken with an ambition to visit all of them, or at least as many as possible – this is probably the mentality of an inveterate collector showing. When the opportunity came along to take voluntary redundancy from my job I seized the chance, and the generous lump sum payoff, to finally take the gap year I didn't have the guts to do when I was eighteen. Rather than travel continuously, I take a few months break between each trip so my gap year is going to be nearer a gap two and a half years when I run out of funds later this year. So I pick a part of the world, visit all or most of its cultural (as opposed to natural) WHSs, build a microscale Lego model of some aspect of each (or the whole thing if possible) and post an entry on my blog about each site, with photos of the real and Lego versions. I was very lazy last summer though so my blog is, at time of writing, rather behind.



GB So you've been to northern Africa, various European locations, Central and South America, Russia, and are now in Sri Lanka. What other sites will you be visiting in this Asian trip. Do you think you'll have a chance in a future trip to visit the holy sites associated with Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Mid-East?

JB The plan for this trip is to go on to India, Nepal, Bangladesh (subject to getting a visa in India), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, South Korea and Japan. I would have liked to visit Pakistan as well, but that didn't seem wise, or indeed possible as an independent traveller. Two well known highlights from these countries will be the Taj Mahal and Angkor, but also included, alongside all the temples and fortifications are three mountain railways in India and some colonial urban architecture. I would very much like to visit the Middle East and regret that I didn't have more time when in Syria on a business trip five years ago; although I did visit the eighth century Umayyad mosque in Damascus, built partly on Roman foundations. At the very least I hope to be able to visit Egypt in the not too distant future.



GB How did you decide to document your travels in LEGO? What are some of the challenges that you've faced in your LEGO building?

JB I'm not too sure where the idea came from, it just occurred to me one day, whilst I was still in my job and planning my future. As soon as it did though, I got very excited and realised that whilst it would sound rather mad to many of my friends, it was exactly what I wanted to do! I had wanted to find some way of responding to the places I saw, to feel that I'd really looked them rather than just taken some photographs and moved on. If I had the talent I might have gone with drawing or painting, but I create much better in three dimensions. Also you're never bored with a Lego set! The biggest challenge was deciding what to bring, and how much. I chose the limited range of colours by doing a Google image search on 'world heritage site' and getting an overall impression of the colours on screen. And I spent a very happy time scanning through pretty much the entire catalogue of parts on Bricklink looking for ideas of useful bits. Beyond that, it soon became clear to me that for most of my constructions I was only going to be able to build one facade of a building, rather than in the round. I also have to make cunning use of parts. So for instance, while I only have two 1x1 bricks in each colour, I can use the end of slopes and the back of panels when I need more blank wall. The backs of my models are a mess, often held up with a shonky network of bits in other colours to keep the SNOT sections in place. I occasionally take pictures of the backs, which you can find in my Flickr stream.



GB So many of your recreations have focused on religious structures - temples, cathedrals, etc. Can you point to a favorite or favorites from among these MOCs?

JB I think my favourites are the really complex ones, with lots of fiddly bits and those needing a higher than usual level of cunning. The more parts I've used, the happier I am. So favourites would include the MOCs for: the monastery of Guadalupe;



Burgos cathedral;



the Templo do San Domingo in Zacatecas;



the church in Olinda;



and the entrance tower of Novodevichy Convent.



GB Is there some MOC that gave you the most trouble in capturing the essence of the real thing?

JB I spent a very long time trying to work out what to build for Machu Picchu and had a few false starts where it built something very tiny and underwhelming, just to try to get over my builder's block. It is such a huge iconic archealogical site that I wanted to try to do some justice to. In the end, I had to go for an impression of part of it and cheat a little with cheese blocks just balanced on top of the walls for the steep gable ends.



GB Is there some insight you've gained in your visits to various religious sites around the world, whether personal religious growth or more cultural insights into humanity's search for an experience of the divine?

JB Hmm, interesting question. I have found that the more I see of more religions, the more firmly I know myself to be atheist, not that I was exactly ambivalent before. I see that throughout history, people have looked for an explanation of things they don't understand, tried to control the world around them or found solace in the face of a difficult life, but all in such completely different ways and sure that theirs was the religion that was right. It seems to me that in the face of these needs, it is inevitable that some kind of belief system will arise. But seeing the impact of European missionary fervour on the indigenous people of Latin America was also a powerful reminder that it never turns out well when people decide to impose their beliefs on others. The resurgence of Orthodox worhip in post-soviet Russia also shows how tenacious religious belief is even when determined attempts are made to stamp it out.





GB What is the one site you most want to visit (and build) in your future travels, if there were no limits due to money or access issues?

JB It's almost impossible to chose just one, but I'll go for the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the seventh century. Timbuktu in Mali comes a close second though.

GB Thank you so much for your time! Happy travels, and I'm looking forward to following your future adventures and LEGO creations.

JB Thank you, it has been a pleasure!

Some kids who played games about Narnia, got gradually balmier and balmier

Elena built Lucy's room from the opening scene of the C.S. Lewis book Voyage of the Dawn Treader, a book full of allegorical vignettes, largely dealing with the work of sin in our lives.

Overview of the room

Confrontation with Eustace

Waves come out of the painting

And fill the room, eventually sweeping the children into the world of the painting

Chinese New Year

I know, this is a week late. I've been busy, and also this past week has been pretty full of things to note here, with the news about the Pope and then a series of holidays with more or less connection to religious themes. A week ago yesterday was Chinese New Year, and first I need to note that this is not a religious holiday. Instead it is a cultural holiday, but Buddhist, Taoist and folk religious traditions have been tied in to this day over the years. For instance, household altars are cleaned and redecorated for the new year. Taoists will burn an effigy of the kitchen god so that he can go to the Jade Emperor to report on the family in the previous year. Buddhists will refrain from eating meat on certain days around this celebration. The Chinese zodiac is a fold tradition, but also gets tied to religious stories, for instance with Buddha picking the twelve animals. This year is the year of the snake, and LEGO celebrated by producing a limited release an official set. This set seems to be only available in Asia.

Mardi Gras / Ash Wednesday / Lent

We're now in the Lenten season, a period of 40 days of solemn contemplation before the joy of Easter (okay, the 40 days doesn't count Sundays, and in some traditions Lent ends on Maundy Thursday instead, so it's 42-46 days). Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. I couldn't actually find any good LEGO creations for Ash Wednesday or Lent - of course there are lots of things based on Easter and the biblical events leading up to that day - so I'm going to highlight Mardi Gras here. Mardi Gras literally means 'Fat Tuesday', and it was a day of feasts and parties on the eve of Lent before starting ritual fasts on Ash Wednesday. The festival aspects have grown, and the Mardi Gras or Carnival season can last several weeks in various countries. In the US we mostly think of Mardi Gras in terms of the partying at this time in New Orleans, which is seen in the New Orleans section of Legoland California.



Here's a Mardi Gras mask by Carson Hart.

Saint Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day. As celebrated today this isn't a religious celebration, but there was a Saint Valentine, well, actually there were a few. The one in question was either a priest in Rome or a Bishop of Terni, condemned and martyred outside of the Flaminian Gate of Rome on February 14 in the late third century. Maybe it was one or the other of these, or maybe those stories both relate to the same man. The Feast of Saint Valentine was first celebrated by Pope Gelasius I on February 14, 496. The association of the day and the saint with romantic love developed in the middle ages. Here's a Valentine by Mumu to help you celebrate the day.