Landscapes of the Sacred (2)

4 Axioms
October 14th, 2017
SArah Clark
The definition of a sacred place varies from person to person, but Lane describes four guiding axioms that space a sacred place.  These axioms can be applied to most persons idea of a sacred place.  The first axiom states that sacred place is not chosen, it chooses (Lane, 19).  This reminds of the man Lane described in the woods.  He only had a sacred encounter with a deer once he was still and waited for it on it’s terms. The second axiom states that sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary (19).  The Lord promises to comfort the poor in spirit.  He chooses to make some of these ugly, ordinary experiences ritually extraordinary through the comfort and encounter with the Wholly. The third axiom is that sacred place can be tread upon without being entered (19).  An example are the Pharisees, who walked on the same sacred ground as Jesus, read the same truth as Jesus, went to the same temple as Jesus, but didn’t even know or understand the sacred truth about him.  The last axiom is the fourth axiom, which states that the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal (19).  This reminds me of the gospel, it is personal, but it is also meant for all nations.  The sacred is not confined to one high priest anymore.

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