Yesterday I wrote in my Lion Lamb blog about visiting an old convent on Terceira, one of nine islands which make up the Azores. The baroque chapel was fascinating, to be sure, but we visited another spot while on the island which gave us a stronger sense of the holy. It is a massive hole in the ground, the largest hollowed out volcano on the planet. We knew what we were visiting but had no idea that we would descend hundreds of steps into a breath-taking cavern.
The steps lead down the volcano chimney that is lava free today, uncommon in most volcanoes, and a tunnel and staircases offer access to the caves below. At the bottom there is a crystal clear lake formed by rainwater, with unique stalactites and stalagmites. The Algar do Carvão is one of the few volcanoes in the world you can visit and the only one in which visitors can explore a volcanic chimney and secondary magma chambers. The volcanic eruption that took place at Algar do Carvão 3,200 years ago created rock rich in silica. Then, a second eruption, 2,000 years ago happened in the same place.
There is a powerful, cathedral-like quality to this space and it's not surprising that musical events are held within it. People often sing, spontaneously, and sometimes they choose religious music. Looking up there is an opening to the sky above with rich vegetation around the rim. We were filled with a sense of awe, which is part of the goal of human-made religious spaces. This cathedral was born of the active processes of the planet and surpassed many of our human efforts which can seem feeble by comparison.
Our wonder was at the immense variety of Creation and thanks to the Creator. I'm so glad we didn't miss this opportunity at the conclusion of a busy vacation.
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