Sacred.....could it be a place?

I take a risk when I write about another culture and belief system.  I have no intention of offending which of course, does not guarantee that I won't.

I want to get at the idea of a sacred place.  For Native Americans, the natural world is a primary conduit of the Divine and so places become sacred because they consistently channel the holy.  I hope I have expressed that correctly.






The Irish speak of 'thin places'.  These are places where the 'film' which divides the holy from the profane is so thin that the Divine is acutely present.

For many Christians, church structures channel the divine for them.  Sometimes it is the exquisite beauty of a cathedral; sometimes the familiarity with their home congregational building is most sacred.

In all these examples, however, it is good to separate the sacred space from the Holy Presence which is experienced there.  It is too easy to confuse the place where we consistently experience God's presence .....with God, or whatever you call the Divine Spirit.

So we protect the 'sacred tree' from being cut down.  We refuse to allow any building on a 'thin place' so it won't be disturbed.  We insist that the church building remain forever untouched.

It is easy to slip from seeking and experiencing the Divine in a particular place to believing that God is contained within the space you consider sacred.  The next step is to believe that you have God contained.

Perhaps, in the end, sacred space is about the relationships that are built and strengthened rather than the place itself.  The tree, or altar or open field, or backyard garden are markers of where you have met this Divine One before, and so you seek God's face again in that place.

What do you think?  Should some places be secured against the intrusion of the world?