If you ever tour the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the very best thing to see is the Cadet Chapel. This ultra modern building, encased in beautiful stained glass, is home to all the various religious groups at the academy.
When the academy was being built, they were only allowed one small area to build a church. So instead of fighting over what kind of church it should be, they decided to make it a place for all kinds. They felt that no matter the beliefs, all should be welcome and have a place to worship.
So the building has a Protestant chapel, a Catholic chapel, a Jewish chapel, a Buddhist meditation room, an Islamic services room, and a few large non-denominational rooms. Each area is set up so that multiple services can take place at the same time, without any disruption from the other areas.
While I was there we were walking past the room for Islamic services and the speaker saw us and paused to invite us in to join them. We were welcomed and greeted as friends as we sat down next to the others and enjoyed the service. It was such a beautiful example of the openness and respect of the patrons of the building.
The people who are in charge of watching over the building and it’s different areas do so with the utmost respect and honor and protection of all the people that come through the doors, no matter who they are or what they believe. This building is so much more than a chapel but more stands for everything that we should try to be as people showing love and respect and openness to those around us no matter the differences.
