"There is a wonderful description of the construction of Chartres Cathedral that has come down to us from the twelfth century. It says that people from all walks of life and social strata — lords, ladies, soldiers, and common workers— came together in the grueling task of transporting stones, wine, grain, and oil to the work site. They labored side by side and in reverential silence — and all forgave their enemies. What we see here is a hint of the new city made possible by the authority of the risen Christ at work in his church. When we visit a Gothic cathedral and move into the magnificent light of the place, it is the true God that we are meant to praise and this new world that we are compelled to imagine."