Building the temple was a highlight in the history of Israel. Solomon was able to provide a worthy place in which one could worship God. The feeling of loss at the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. was profound. When the people returned to the Promised Land after the exile the prophets urged them to re-build the temple. That process was not completed until King Herod, immediately prior to the birth of Jesus. That second temple was destroyed, this time by the Romans. Yet, even without a temple the Jewish people have kept the faith — because they are a community of believers. So for St. James — we might have lost our “temple” but because we have community the Church continues to thrive.
