The Glass Bible

Not too long ago, I photographed stained glass windows in historic El Paso and Juarez churches. For me, the most striking feature of any church is the windows and the stories they tell. During one of my sessions in Juarez, a woman approached me from Egypt.

During our conversation, she asked me the purpose behind stained glass windows. As I was explaining, several others started listening in. It was then that I realized that we might be losing the meaning behind these windows and replacing them with something more mundane: the windows are there to beautify the space. As churches are built, stained glass windows are falling to the wayside.

So, what was the purpose of stained glass windows in the Church? The simple answer is that they tell a story.

At a time in human history, the illiteracy rate almost equaled the world’s population. Obtaining an education, much less the skill to read, was left to the privileged classes. The average man’s daily life was one of unending work and toil. For those who could not read, for those who could not read the scriptures for themselves, there were the windows in the local Church.

The Council of Trent said, “By means of the stories of the mysteries of our redemption portrayed in paintings and other representation, the people are instructed and confirmed in the articles of faith. These images ought to be borne in the mind and constantly reflected upon.”

Historically, the purpose of stained glass windows was to educate the faithful in Catholic doctrine (as well as Anglican) and give people a physical illustration of the truths of the Catholic faith.

Saint Pope John Paul II said, “The Church needs art. In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the word of the spirit, of the invisible, of God. It must, therefore, translate into meaningful terms that which is in itself ineffable. Art has a unique capacity to take one or other facet of the message and translate it into colors, shapes and sounds which nourish the intuition of those who look or listen. It does so without emptying the message itself of its transcendent value and its aura of mystery.”

If you were to follow them in any parish, the windows would tell the complete story of Jesus Christ, from His birth, death, and resurrection. You would find the stories of the Apostles as they shared the message of Christ far and wide. There would be stories from the Old and New Testament, bringing to life the shared history of the Christian peoples.

Simply put, an explanation I often use is that the windows are a Glass Bible.

Today, in a world where most have access to the Holy Scriptures and can read them, the Glass Bible may be losing its place within sacred architecture. More often, in newer constructions, we see churches that look more secular than sacred. Beautiful windows that would call to mind a passage of scripture or a moment in Christ’s life are being replaced with windows bereft of symbolism.

Even today, those windows have a purpose. As you find your way into a pew, you may stop and reflect upon a scene found in a window. As you kneel and fold your hands in prayer, you find yourself being drawn into the sacred by that window, by its story and message.

That is why stained glass windows are found in churches worldwide. They tell the Story, bring you into a state of reflection, and engulf you in the light of heaven—they are windows into heaven.

It saddens me when I walk into a church and the story, the Glass Bible, is missing. The space feels as if it is crying out for a purpose, for meaning. It’s begging anyone to write the most remarkable story ever told upon its glass.

What are your favorite windows?

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