The Prophesy of Notre Dame Burning



What could the fire at Notre Dame NOT mean?

The NYTimes describes the inescapable symbolism of the fire representing the tumultuous times in France.

What would the symbolism mean in teams of stability and plenty? Surely, it would be a sign of our carelessness amidst decadence. In a time of austerity it might mean that we did not spend enough money/time/effort to maintain society. In a time of hope it might represent hubris.

Could there be a time in France when the burning of the cathedral might simply be seen as an accident, signifying nothing about society or the state of things? Probably not.

It seems the news outlets are increasingly prone to broad interpretations of big events. Rather than simply describing what happened, we hear pontifications about how it shows this or that about the way we live. And as outlets are increasingly polarized, pitching the most click-worthy slant to that outlet's clickiest audience, the role of interpreting events to suit that slant feels like it's growing.

It can feel almost like prophesy. The commentators peer into the crystal ball of the morning news and divine for us what it means.

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