Living in Morningside Heights, in between Harlem and the Upper West Side, brings many advantages. One of the best things about living here, though, is the view out my bedroom window.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is on the way to becoming the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. As it is, they've been building it since 1892, and they will most likely still be building it well after I'm gone. Imagine it with a matched set of two towers, each significantly taller than the scaffolded south tower, and you begin to get a sense of how much remains to be done.

Even in its perpetually unfinished state, however, St. John the Divine is a fine thing to look upon. It amazes me how quickly and subtly a big pile of stone can change with the time of day, the weather, and the time of year. This particular photo was taken as the sun was setting on a beautiful late spring day in 2000. Unfortunately, it gives only the merest sense of the way the cathedral glows in late afternoon.

The Cathedral suffered a major fire just before Christmas, by the way, which threatened to disrupt not only the good work they do, but also my plans for Midnight Mass. Happily, the damage was contained.