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Sacred Spaces: Are They Useful?

 


I have endeavored to make the point that we don’t need altars, cathedrals, and other sacred architecture to know, serve, and be close to God, “If you confess Jesus Christ as Son of God, God lives in you and you live in God.” (1 John 4:15, NLT). That being said I am not against visiting and praying in chapels, cathedrals, creating prayer corners, prayer closets and etc. We have spaces where we eat, where we sleep, and where we watch TV, what is wrong then with a sacred place? A place that merely acts a somewhere to focus more spiritually without distractions and perhaps some inspirations like a cross and candles. I have not been one to support Iconoclasm, the destruction of images, my chief concern is that no Christian brother or sister become dependent on them, nor dependent on sacred spaces like chapels.  I am reminded that in time of the Prophet Daniel, when Cyrus released the Jews to return to Canaan, there were two sects, those who stayed in Persia believing the Lord God is with you everywhere and you don’t need a temple, like Daniel who prayed three times a day in his house and those who felt they had to return to holy land and have a Temple to be close to God. I don’t want anyone becoming the latter, stay like Daniel, believing Christ is with you always and everywhere. But if you like having a corner in your abode or visiting a place that makes you feel more focused to seek the Lord, there is nothing wrong with that, but beware of becoming too dependent least persecution come and cut you off from it. 


We don’t need buildings of stone, artwork, crosses, and etc to be near to God, no Christ has achieved that, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19). There is no intermediaries, or need for relics or sacred stuff, Christ Alone is our rock, our refuge, and door to the Father (John 14:6). We don’t need sacred trinkets to merit anything or act as talismans, no! We need only The Living Jesus who was slain for us! 


The key or “trick William Potter,” (Lawerence of Arabia) is to not allow anything to take your eyes off Christ, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2). If visiting a prayer closet, chapel, cathedral, and etc encourages your relationship with Christ, then great! But beware of being too dependent on it, for Jesus lives in you and you can talk to him anywhere, at anytime, and at any place. Amen. 


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