Straat in het dorp Oosterland op Duiveland 1822

Joseph Adolf Schmetterling captured this street in Oosterland on Duiveland in watercolor around 1826. Notice the church tower in the center, its spire reaching skyward – a silent sentinel of faith. This reaching gesture is not unique. Think of ancient obelisks, medieval cathedrals, and even modern skyscrapers. Each strives to connect the earthly with the divine. Why do humans feel compelled to build these vertical monuments? Perhaps it’s a yearning for something beyond our grasp, a physical manifestation of our spiritual aspirations. Consider the Tower of Babel, a cautionary tale of hubris. Our collective memory whispers of the dangers of reaching too high. Yet, the impulse remains, a testament to our enduring quest for meaning and connection, forever etched in stone and steel.