Meditation Monday - What is Sacred Space?

What makes a space holy, sacred, a thin place where heaven and earth seem to be but a breath apart and we enter into an intimate encounter with God? I reflect on this as I sit in my own sacred space surrounded by candles, icons, plants and other memorabilia gazing at God’s ever changing world outside. Snow capped mountains, chickadees on the lilac bush, camellias pink and glorious in the early morning sun all mesmerize my attention at different times.

In the last couple of weeks my space was transformed with new shelving and cabinets. What began as a “let’s clean up my space for Lent” became a much needed overhaul of decor that has not been touched for over 20 years. I disposed of cameras, lamps and candles through our buy nothing group freeing up space for much treasured items, hidden away for years.

This space is not intrinsically holy. It began life as a breakfast nook that we hardly used. Then I began to notice the way the sun shining through the windows bathed it in a special light and I thought “This would make a great office/sacred space.” Over the years the office purpose decreased and the specialness of it as a sacred space increased. God’s presence here is often tangible, a true thin space that I sense is growing thinner all the time. I am reminded constantly however, that it is not made holy by its intrinsic sacredness of shape or form, or even by the transformation I have achieved in it over the years, nudged I believe, by the spirit of God. It has become holy to me because it is here that I acknowledge the specialness of God’s presence both within me and all around me.

Sacred Space - Where We Notice God.

I realize now that God was always present in this space just waiting for me to notice. Like Moses taking off his shoes and moving towards that ordinary yet extraordinary burning bush I take time to sit and appreciate the essence of God present here and all around. It seems to me that we can make any place holy, not by inviting the presence of God into it, but by stepping aside from our daily routine and taking time to notice the essence of our beloved Creator already present in it.

Some places I feel are intrinsically sacred, infused with the wonder of God by their very creation. Groves of majestic trees that encourage us to look up towards the glory of God. Promontories by the sea where we feel drawn to sit and refresh ourselves in the presence of the Eternal one. Desert places where we notice the burning bushes and take off our shoes to bask in the quiet silence of divine presence.

Others are made holy by human activity. Sometimes something as simple as setting up an altar for worship or the placing of a cross in a garden can fill a space with the tangible sense of the divine presence. At other times it can be as majestic and as awe inspiring as the creation of a mighty cathedral. These spaces seem to be made sacred by the people who worship in them and over time that sacredness soaks into the very fabric of their structure. No wonder people are still drawn to these beautiful places and are often touched in a special way by God during their visits .

There is another space that is intrinsically holy that we rarely think about. That is the space within each of us where the divine image resides. Call it the soul, the spirit, the heart, it doesn’t matter what we call it. God, the holy and eternal one, our creator is planted within each of us. A glimmer of who God is can be seen in the face of each individual in this world. Such an astonishing fact. Imagine if we looked at the people around us with that knowledge. Imagine if we came together as a richly diverse multicultural, community with people from every ethnic background, every strata of society, every sexual orientation and gloried in the presence of God in each one. That I think would give us a taste of the glory of the world to come.

There is something special
About the space
In which I begin each day
With God.
A thin space of holy presence
Filled with the ever-present, Eternal One.
My personal sanctuary 
Surrounded by candles, icons 
And objects that stir memories.
The wonder of encounter with God.
But it is not these 
That make this space holy.
It is the spark of God's presence,
Always here, 
Waiting at the beginning of the day
For me to notice.
Here I join the spark within me
To this holy presence, 
In reverence and love. 
The seed of divine likeness
Hidden in each of us.