It was in Delphi that we saw the amazing "Sacred Space" complex they had, with displays of wealth from all the various city-states, statues of honour in marble and bronze and sacrificial areas for gifts to the temple itself. All of it was contained within walls which delineated the temple area. This "sacred space" was set apart, holy for the purpose, and the wall was the defining barrier between what was sacred (and all sacred activities took place there) and what was on the other side, which was profane, everyday and not of interest to the holy ones at all.
This made me think about how we use the term "sacred space" - at Solace we use the term to mean the area set aside for prayer and communing with God, but is this really a good word? Does having a "sacred space" imply that other spaces are not sacred, or that God is not there? Or worse, that God is not interested in what goes in other parts of lives, away from the "sacred spaces"?
I know that I am inclined to compartmentalize my life - to think about family at one time, God at one time, work at one time, money at another time. But for a healthy life balance, God should be part of all the times. There should be no "sacred/profane" division in my life, especially since I believe that God made me a doctor and ordained that this would be my life at His command.
Maybe I should take my "sacred space" to be my whole life and make it all sacred, since God is there in all of it? Then there would be no "sacred spaces" only a sacred life, given and lived for God.
No comments:
Post a Comment