Cathedrals: Take a look and see what you take away

I’ve been watching tons of steel coming out of the ground lately: the Mid-Town development across from the University of Southern Mississippi; Tatum Court on the campus of William Carey University and, on a much smaller scale, a new building for Living Word Church, out by the Presbyterian High School. I have a particular interest in the latter, because I’ve been filling in occasionally for the pastor, Rev. Jeff Revette, while he is deployed with his Gulfport-based Army Reserve unit to Arifjan, Kuwait.

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The church, which like the original Tatum Court college administration building was destroyed by the tornado of Jan. 21 2017, reminds me of a mini cathedral as it comes together, piece by piece, rusty steel beams juxtaposed against the sky. I like to watch the daredevils sit astride those girders as they are swung into place. I always felt like I could work the high steel. I never was afraid of heights. When I was a kid, I climbed every water tank and fire tower south of Hattiesburg. Of course, when I later went to the Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, every parachute jump I made was a night jump because I had my eyes closed. Some were water jumps, but when the green light came on, I was the first one out the door and I got my wings.