Life With Louise

As you may or may not know, I was in Milan for a couple of days this week. While I was there, I went to all of the tourist sights, and in particular spent quite a lot of time in The Duomo - one of the world's largest churches. I was able to walk around this massive building, as well as climb stairs leading to the roof, where I was able to see over all of Milan. It really was quite impressive, and significant to think that in 313AD, it was the Edict of Milan that Emperor Constantine signed, allowing Christianity to be legalised and removed any barriers to Christian worship in the Roman Empire.

The Edict of Milan transformed the status of Christianity, as it initiated the period known by Christian historians as the Peace of the Church. Constantine became the first emperor to actually promote and grant favors to the Church and its members.


Despite the fact that the Roman world was now free to worship Jesus openly, without fear of persecution, I couldn't help but notice the confessional boxes as a I wandered through the church. I understand the Biblical Motivation for confessing sin to each other, in order that we may be healed, but often when I am extremely important religious buildings I get a sense of how easy it is to get caught up in religion, that is binding, restricting and sometimes suffocating rather than celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ... for it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1)

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need". - Hebrews 4:15-16