Sunday, April 20, 2008

Inner Peace

I had never seen this version of the angel of peace, but it happens to be everywhere in Bavaria. You will find it overlooking the city of Munich (see March 24 post), at local churches, and in this case at cemeteries. This angel was found at the Alter Nord Friedhof or Old Northern Cemetery. What caught my attention about this image is not only the serenity of the angel’s gesture, but also the comfort of the setting – with all the trees in background. Europeans tend to think of cemeteries differently than Americans. The thought of spending any time in cemeteries for Americans seems somehow morbid. Throughout most large European cities, cemeteries are often well used parks with jogging trails and bike paths – or for finding 10 minutes for a peaceful interlude with an Angel.