The building is not as important as the people and nothing is more important than Jesus, but I still found it fun to locate the World’s largest church…
I love churches. I love the quiet. I love the worship through reverence inside of a special holy building. I love the beauty that creates a sense of majesty.
I also realize a building is nothing if the people inside do not have a heart for Jesus.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.
~ Acts 17:24 (NIV)
Once in a while, a building can draw people in that allows them to connect, in a way, with Jesus. Different people will have different ways of discovering the Lord or growing closer to Him.
Worshipping the true Creator does not mean worshipping the building. Yet reverence without legalism can actually be sincere. A building can make us stop and connect with something greater than our single lives and the troubles we have.
Okay, so it is just a building but what a building it is!! The largest church in the world is located at the Ivory Coast.
Part of my spiritual journey is about geographical adventure. It connects me with people from other lands, in a way. Even though I am not there in person at the moment, it widens my view of mankind. It allows me to gain a wider perspective than my usual chronic illness coaching (that I am passionate about).
It reminds me that Jesus is EVERYWHERE. It gets me outside of myself and closer into the mind and heart of Jesus loving on a very wide range of people, His people.
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
~ Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)
I have been blessed to have traveled (many moons ago :)) and experienced worship in numerous countries. One day it would be a delight to visit the largest church in the world and experience people who love Jesus in this far away land.
Let’s get our minds out of our sickbeds for a moment and see where it is…
Where Is It?
Do NOT focus on the denomination, that is not what is important here. Keep the main thing the main thing, Jesus.
You may have guessed that St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was the biggest church in the world, but the title goes to one built in its likeness: the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast. Our Lady of Peace is modeled after Rome’s—and perhaps the world’s—most famous church. Covering almost 323,000 square feet of land, the 640-foot-long-by-518-foot-tall church was awarded its superlative by Guinness World Records after it opened in 1990. While visiting Our Lady, explore Tai National Park or relax on the beach at the Grand Bassam.
~ Travel Trivia, Where Is The World’s Largest Church
As I started to look into this I had other geographical limitations, my knowledge!!! Where is the Ivory Coast??? I would have guessed Africa but wasn’t sure. So I kept looking.
I learn geography visually. If you are as geographically challenged as I am you will appreciate this. If not, this might be boring to you.
First, let’s locate Africa…
Then let’s locate the Ivory Coast inside of Africa…
Then let’s locate Cote d’Ivoire inside the Ivory Coast…
Being geographically challenged, I needed to see Cote d’Ivoire a little more clearly…
Then let’s locate Yamoussoukro inside Cote d’Ivoire…
Okay, that now gives us a mental geographical image of the location of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, the largest church in the world.
Has your mind wandered away from your life inside the body of chronic illness? I sure hope so. I know this does not eliminate the problems of illness, but when our minds can wander to other places, other people, and on Jesus, we can receive relief and a wider vision of hope.
I thought this was fun. It was inspired by the daily blog I receive from Travel Trivia, Where Is The World’s Largest Church
Many blessings to all around the world,