The West Rose
The West Rose Window at Washington National Cathedral, (PD by Noclip)
We celebrate this Summer the 250th birthday of the nation, a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men were created equal, and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights. There have been speeches, parades, fireworks and more – just as John Adams once predicted there would be.
In our capitol stands Washington National Cathedral, chartered by Congress and intended as a place of worship for all [1][2]. America, itself, has been called a “City on a Hill”, a moral example and beacon of hope to the world.
Many, however, have forgotten God entirely. Indeed, our nation is at a crossroads – tragically undecided whether to choose obedience to God or disobedience.
The West Rose has pride of place at the National Cathedral [3][4][5]. That circular window, nearly 30 feet in diameter, and depicting creation in abstract terms, was designed by renowned stained-glass artist Rowan LeCompte, and crafted by master artisan Dieter Goldkuhle.
More than 10,500 individual pieces of colored glass comprise the West Rose. We can readily imagine the people of this nation as unique pieces of sparkling glass in the work of art God created.
But is the masonry of the nation, in fact, crumbling?
Deuteronomy 28: 1-14 lists the many blessings which a nation obedient to God is promised, blessings our nation has enjoyed in abundance [6A].
Deuteronomy 28: 15-68 though lists the curses to which a nation disobedient to God will be subject [6B][7]: curses in all places; curses on provision, fertility, and produce; curses on movement; plagues, confusion, and reproof until destruction; isolation; loss of leadership; and loss of a special covenant relationship with God.
Some would argue we are already seeing evidence of these.
As we celebrate the nation’s birthday, may we each take stock. May we forgive where forgiveness is needed; repent where repentance is needed. And may we remember that we are all brothers, so that the West Rose will continue to shine brightly in the light of God’s love.
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[1] Washington National Cathedral, https://cathedral.org/.
[2] Episcopal News Service, “Documentary tells the story of Washington National Cathedral’s West Rose window” by Shireen Korkzan, https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/05/07/documentary-tells-the-story-of-washington-national-cathedrals-west-rose-window/.
[3] KPBS, “Let There Be Light” by Jennifer Robinson, 12/12/19, https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2019/12/12/let-there-be-light.
[4] Google Arts and Culture, “The West Rose Window: A luminous meditation on creation”, https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-poetry-of-creation-rowan-lecompte-39-s-stained-glass-windows-washington-national-cathedral/zgWx8_XoVWPHYw?hl=en.
[5] Jahn Masonry Restoration News, “The Rose Window at the National Cathedral and the Strike that Helped Us Finish It on Time” by Dennis Rude, https://www.jahn.news/news/s6o4mgp511ip9lfl6n5oup3t4kb3zb.
[6A and 6B] BibleHub, “Deuteronomy 28: Blessings and Curses”, https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/28.htm.
[7] King James Bible Online, “Deuteronomy 12: 15 – 28: 68”, https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Deuteronomy-28-15_28-68/.
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