Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields

The Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in a famous London landmark, overlooking the crowds which throng Trafalgar Square. Its name comes from its situation between the cities of London and Westminster, though it is now very much regarded as Central London. It is one of those elegant and stately eighteenth-century Anglican parish churches, built when architecture was beautiful and the rich spared little expense paying for them.

The interior is no less impressive than the exterior, with gold paint and white plastering lending the place a light and airy feel. Interrupting the eighteenth-century grace and splendour, however, is the modern, east window. Shirazeh Houshiary's warped monochrome grid was installed over a decade ago to replace what German bombs damaged in the last world war. Rebecca Geldard writing for the Guardian thought it bespoke feminism (naturally) but it does very much depict a cross when viewed as a whole. The juxtaposition with the classic architecture is not to my taste, but it surely demonstrates (if the subjective interpretation of art can demonstrate anything) the timelessness, the immutability, and agelessness of Christ’s glorious gospel of salvation.

At the other end of the building, by the west door, is another modern work, this time a block of semi-dressed stone with a baby carved atop it. Around its sides are written those staggering words from John's gospel:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

The art might be questionable, but the message is faithful and true.