I should start off by saying that I've had a serious case of Writer's Block for the past
oh, four and a half months. I've sat down many a time at the good ol' laptop to blog, but I just wasn't feeling inspired.
But tonight this post comes easily because I want to share a few beautiful photographs I took on my day off and a very overwhelming, yet special moment I experienced while I was there. Many friends of ours have told us that a trip to the Bahai temple would be more than worthwhile. With only seven in the entire world, it was mind-boggling to me that one would exist in our neck of the woods!
To start, it was a gorgeous day and quite perfect for a little sight-seeing. The sky was a deep clear blue, the sun was shining, and the temperature was just right. My plan was to take the L and a nice leisurely walk and see this wonder of Illinois. And yes, it is actually one of the
seven wonders of Illinois!
This is a view of the cute little street I walked down from the train station to the temple. Wilmette is such a pretty town- notice the brick roads, nicely manicured lawns and beautiful homes. Okay, I guess you can't see the homes, but I promise they were there! Many of them reminded me of little cottages.
Had to cross a bridge with this view on either side. It made me a little nervous when cars were zooming past me, but I had to stop and take a picture!
When I arrived there was a tour bus parked right out front. It struck me as pretty cool that I only had to take a quick train ride! The timing was perfect though because most of my pictures were tourist free, and I got to sit inside the temple in complete peace.
According to my pamphlet, "this unique structure stands for unity and invites prayer to God. Each temple has its own distinctive design, and they all conform to a consistent theme: an area of gardens encircles a nine-sided structure covered by a single, majestic dome (symbolizing the unity of all people and religions under God)."
As I stared up at this amazing beautiful, intricate domed ceiling at my seat... I felt this sudden wave of emotions. My eyes teared up a little, and all I can really say is in that moment, I felt incredibly moved. Imagine the experience of sitting in this astounding sacred space, with nothing but natural light streaming down on you.
Upon exiting the temple, I asked the lady at the door what the writing at the top of the dome meant, and she explained that it was a prayer that meant "O Glory of the All Glorious." She was so nice and informative, and even told me I was welcome to take a few pictures inside as long as there were no services going on.
If anything, I would encourage anyone in the Chicagoland area to go see it. The pictures just don't do it justice!
