U.K. Monument Planned to 'Preserve the Christian Heritage of the Nation'
A graphic of the planned Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, courtesy of their website, envisions families visiting, including a hijab-wearing woman with a baby stroller.
A massive public art display dedicated to the Christian heritage of the United Kingdom was approved for planning earlier this month.
The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, a proposed monument planned to be built outside of Birmingham, U.K. by 2022, is now entering the building phase of its construction.
The piece is planned as a colossal Möbius strip-shaped wall bending into itself, forming an endless loop made up of thousands of bricks — each representing an individual person’s answered prayer. An app is planned to allow visitors to scan individual bricks and read about the stories of prayer as well as find bricks and prayers of interest to them. The Eternal Wall is set to be over 51 meters tall, and will feature an inside area as well as an outdoor garden and walking paths.
The monument is notable for its thoroughly Christian identity and rejection of secular or multi-cultural aims. The organization states that the Wall will be a public piece of art dedicated to Jesus alone. On their website, the foundation claims that now is “a time for Christians to be bold about their faith.”
However, the organization emphasizes that it values the freedom of a multi-faith society and invites visitors of all backgrounds to visit the Wall upon completion. The Eternal Wall plans to hold an area within the monument for anyone to use to express their own experience with prayer, regardless of faith.
The design for the Eternal Wall was chosen through a worldwide design contest. Over 133 entries were submitted from 28 countries. Five finalists were selected before a winner was chosen.
Snug, the architectural firm responsible for the design of the Eternal Wall, claims that the purpose of the monument will be “to preserve the Christian heritage of the nation; encourage prayer; and proclaim Jesus for the country.”
The project is being privately funded by deep-pocketed donators from across the globe and is expected to cost over £7.2 million, or close to $9 million.
“Our prayers were answered when we won the competition,” Snug wrote in an official statement. “Our hope now is that Eternal Wall will become a much loved national monument that encourages millions and both deepens our nation's understanding of and engagement with prayer.”
Prayers included in the design of the Möbius strips’s thousands of bricks include contemporary stories of faith from Christians around the world, submitted to the firm by individuals personally. Centuries-old prayers recorded from as far back as 600 AD will also be included as a sign of the religion’s history and legacy.
CEO Richard Gamble, the former chaplain of Leicester City Football Club, came up with the idea for the monument in 2004.
"Sixteen years ago, I felt God speak to me and give me the idea,” he said in a press release. “It's an audacious project, but I believe God is helping us achieve it. This building has been my dream for many years. It’s phenomenal to see it all finally fleshed out by Snug in such a beautiful and elegant design.”
Gamble also said the Wall will aim to celebrate and remember all the prayers that God has answered for individuals throughout the nation’s history.
“Our hope is that this will be a piece of art that provokes discussion, and that when people visit The Wall of Answered Prayer and interact with the one million testimonies, they will see a small glimpse of God’s character,” he said. “We expect that this will have a significant impact on our nation.”
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture.