church of the holy trinity

a church
on the upper east side
magnificent

i stopped by last week
after a work out at the gym

originally wanting to just quickly peek inside
because it's where charlotte had married trey
on "sex and the city"

but upon my arrival
i was pleasantly surprised to find an episcopalian church
quite similar to the one i'd grown up in

but quiet
and cool, like wet stone
alive in a way few empty buildings are

as i entered the sanctuary i couldn't help but notice
the calm sunlight as it streamed through the
bafflingly beautiful stained glass

a flyer towards the back invited parishioners
to join both pastors and clergy atop the church float
for new york city's gay pride parade

a banner hanging near the entrance read
"we do not tolerate torture"

women with strollers sat in shadows
as their children enjoyed the afternoon sun

gardeners tended to the lush life
bursting in abundance all around them

a couple of homeless men slept inside
on unused church pews
no one seemed to mind at all

i'm certainly not a huge fan of organized religion
but the church of the holy trinity on 88th between 1st and 2nd
had certainly made its case

there was a spirit within the walls
amongst that garden
beyond those gates

but i think what moved me most within that space
was not the fact that i was in a church
or even the bible stories
depicted in the stained glass all around me

i was inspired by the beauty of a simple afternoon
the powerful artistry of architecture
and by people's profound ability to believe


from my point of view
a place of worship can be anywhere
but more often than not i feel a direct connect
within a theatre

earlier tonight i watched the movie "fame"
for the very first time ever in my life

jesus christ
is that movie thrilling beyond words

even now that every scene
seems both classic and cliched
i was moved as a viewer

but moved especially
because on some level i'd lived it

i'd lived it first as a child
daydreaming to the sound of the songs being played
on my parents' old record player

and then i lived it for real
as a drama major at new york university
smack dab in the center of it all

"out here on my own"
"i sing the body electric"
"is it okay if i call you mine?"

thrilling

having friends who'd gone to laguardia
high school of the performing arts
i'd always intended to see the movie

but somehow i had always imagined it'd be
a lot more of the dancing and singing on cars
and a lot less of the heart and the hurt
that comes with being an artist
just growing into yourself

it really hit home to me
a not so revolutionary but ultimately uplifting viewpoint
that some of us may be students of drama
or music
or dance

but we're all really just students of life
learning more and more each day
striving for something that feels bigger than ourselves
and going nowhere without the support
of the people all around us

we may not all live forever
but we're all alive right now