This sculpture by Clarke Fitzgerald was given to the Cathedral by Christ Church, Cincinnati, USA in 1971.
A plumb-line is used to determine whether or not a building is standing straight. This sculpture is based on a passage from the Bible, Amos 7.7-9, where God sets out his intention to assess whether or not his people are aligned with him. Amos is warned that, if necessary, God will take action to put things right…
This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb-line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’*
*Quoted from a signboard next to the sculpture
It’s been quite some time since I’ve been to Coventry Cathedral (like 20 years!), perhaps its time for another visit.
It had been about that long since my previous visit.
I can’t say that I like the Cathedral but I do like the themes of the windows and sculptures and what the Cathedral represents. It does all of that well.