Ever since I was condemned for wearing shorts into the house of God around the age of eight—or perhaps since the time someone tried to “save” me when I was seven and not only did I not understand what the hell was going on, but I also felt like I was about to be kidnapped—I haven’t been on friendly terms with churches. I’m not religious—spiritual, but not religious, as I like to say—and I don’t enjoy them. Even seeing the churches in Europe was a bittersweet experience, knowing how many people had died because of these institutions, with or without their beauty.
But lately I have realized how much time we spend in churches, and I have to say that I appreciate the space. Oh, we pay for it; it’s not free. Our music class is in a church, and part of our fee covers the rental space for our teacher. Our co-op yearly dues help rent out church space. But it’s pretty damn cheap, especially compared with alternatives that run $200 or more for a day’s rental!
