I'M not religious and neither is my book's main character Michael Morrison, but both of us are intrigued and moved by the churches and cathedrals of Italy.
This scene is featured in The Choreography of Ghosts:
There were churches everywhere, basilicas and campaniles and in these buildings packed with drama and a sense of fear there were also Christs everywhere; Christs suspended in mid-air, Christs on crosses, worried Christs at The Last Supper, Christs in scenes surrounded by pain, sad Christs, lost Christs, despairing Christs, pleading Christs, Christs in robes of white, injured Christs, betrayed Christs, crucified Christs, Christs made from gleaming, shining gold, overlooking structures of marble, walled by chapels dedicated to the saints, the great and the good, all appealing for offerings to help with their upkeep.
Morrison loved and hated these places in equal measure, his occasional visits, he liked to believe, enriching his spirit and occasionally causing his mind to flash back to his visit to that church on the island.
He was not a man often given to the consideration of providence, but these churches made him consider, maybe even reconsider his beliefs. One particular picture caught his eye...
* From my forthcoming novel The Choreography of Ghosts