The Vondelkerk in flames
New hope for faith and community
“Beyond saving”
The Vondelkerk near Vondelpark is on fire. I watched the images on television with horror on that New Year’s Eve in 2026. While the world celebrated and Amsterdam prepared enthusiastically for the turn of the year, the sky above the city turned an ominous red. The monumental Vondelkerk was ablaze. Around midnight, the spire collapsed. “Beyond saving,” the fire department soberly concluded. The cause? Probably just fireworks.
Tragic mistake
Although it hurts to see those stones fall and the tower collapse, history teaches us a valuable lesson: faith does not depend on a building. Paradoxically, when walls collapse, space is created for something new. Sometimes something is restored to its former glory, as we saw with Notre Dame. It was destroyed by fire in 2019 due to a tragic mistake during construction work, but after unprecedented efforts and hundreds of millions in donations, this magnificent cathedral reopened its doors in 2026.
That new temple
This reminds me of the second temple in Jerusalem. The Babylonians had razed Solomon’s magnificent temple to the ground. But when the people, led by King Cyrus, were finally allowed to return, they immediately set about rebuilding the city and the temple. When the new temple was completed, the younger generation burst into cheers. The elders, however, who had known the splendor of the first temple, wept. Ezra describes how they mourned because the new temple was more austere, nothing like the grandeur of yesteryear.
Numbers don’t lie
The appearance changed, but the essence remained. Today, we see a similar “silent” fire raging. Studies point to an exodus of believers; faith in Jesus seems to have been banished to the margins of society. This is evident in the shrinking political support, but especially in the empty pews in church on Sunday mornings. The numbers don’t lie: about a thousand of the 2,100 churches in the Netherlands are being sold off. That’s almost one in two or three (or: a significant portion). You may ask yourself: is this an improvement or a deterioration? In purely numerical terms, it is of course a huge loss. But it is also the logical consequence of a fundamental shift.
In the past, the church was a “people’s church.” You were Reformed or Catholic simply because you were born into it, an automatic process. That is no longer the case. We have shifted to a “church of choice.” People no longer attend out of tradition or family custom, but because they make a very conscious choice for the Church of Jesus Christ.
Less visible
Jesus already said it: “My church cannot be destroyed.” His promise in Matthew 16 is crystal clear: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Buildings are temporary and perishable, but the universal Church is indestructible. It may be less visible in the old structures, but it is strikingly present in a new, younger generation.
Against the tide, they witness on the streets, pray for others, and speak words of hope and healing. Their lives are sincerely devoted to Christ. For the first time since 1966, we see that Generation Z is more religious than the generation before them. That is remarkable. In a time of loneliness, confusion, and threat—in which we must prepare for uncertain times—they seek authenticity. The shift from tradition to experience is visible everywhere: in worship evenings, Alpha courses, and on social media, where young people, influencers, and even famous athletes openly profess their faith.
Perhaps smaller
In Luke 18, Jesus asks, “Will I still find faith?” He is not referring to monumental stones or institutions, but to living faith in the hearts of people. So despite the ashes of the Vondelkerk and the declining statistics that hurt the older generation, there is a restoration of a spiritual temple.
A church that spreads light. Perhaps smaller, less bureaucratic, and less self-evident, but much closer to the core.
The fire in the Vondelkerk marks the end of a building, but absolutely not the end of faith. History teaches us—look at the Reformation—that it is precisely when the exterior falls away that people rise again for the essence: living with Jesus through grace. Our churches may burn and numbers may decline, but ultimately the Church of Jesus will triumph. Perhaps not in gigantic cathedrals, but in simple living rooms. Stones may burn, but the foundation of our faith is fireproof. The Church will continue to exist as a city on a hill, a light on a candlestick that continues to spread the love of God.
@wimvanputten