Sacred Space

 

I heard a phrase recently that has captured my attention. As someone was praying for another, desiring strongly to involve themselves in their life, the Lord prompted them to refrain from intervening. As she observed the scene in her mind, showing the other person interacting with Jesus, she realized her presence there would not be productive. Jesus was all that was needed in this moment.

The phrase “sacred space” was used to describe the interaction between the other person and Jesus. I believe every person has this place in their life. Each of us has a way of encountering God on a personal level. Some have discovered this, and it brings great joy and contentment to their life. Others have yet to find a way to tap into a relationship with God. He is gently calling out to them, hoping they will eventually answer Him. God is always the initiator. He is seeking after us long before we even know He is real. It’s part of His character.

In the beginning, Genesis, God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. This was a time where God and Adam communed. It was a sacred space. Abraham was shown “the place” where he offered the promised son as a sacrifice to God. When the angel intervened, it became a sacred space to Abraham. Moses encountered the burning bush. He was instructed, “Take your shoes off; this is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5) It was the place where Moses encountered God; a sacred space.

Look at what occurred when God and Moses met on the mountain after Israel left Egypt. One of the main things communicated on Sinai was the instructions on building the Tabernacle. (Exodus 25) This would be a place where God would meet with man. The very Spirit of God would inhabit a portion of this tent and in “that place” there would be communion. It was called the Holy of Holies. In the context of the Old Testament, only the High Priest could enter this “sacred space”.

Sacred means, “Connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration.” Veneration means, “great respect; reverence.” I believe this describes perfectly the Holy of Holies. It is in this most revered place where forgiveness was obtained for Israel. The blood of the sacrifice was placed on the Mercy Seat to atone for the sins of the people.

When David became king, he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6) Instead of returning it to the Tabernacle of Moses, he built a new “tent of meeting”; one without a curtain separating man from the presence of God. David developed an army of worshippers to offer worship before God’s presence 24/7. He knew the heart of God long before the Messiah was ever introduced.

Later, God gave David the plans for the temple. It was patterned after the Tabernacle of Moses, where the Ark of the Covenant would once again be placed in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain, where only the High Priest would enter.

Fast forward a bit to the day Jesus was crucified. It’s recorded in the gospels that when Jesus died the curtain concealing the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. Symbolically, God was opening this sacred space to everyone. It was no longer reserved for the High Priest, but through a relationship with Jesus we could, each one of us, have communion directly with God Himself. It moved from corporate to personal.

I now understand how important it is to respect and honor that place which others have with God. There is no room for anyone in that sacred space except for the individual and God. And that is enough. When a parent, spouse, minister, or friend attempts to enter that place to speak to God in lieu of the individual they are invading a place of reverence where their presence is not needed. God is well able to handle any interaction which needs to occur there. An even more egregious error would be for anyone to enter that space and speak for God. It is presumptuous at best, and blasphemous at worst. That place is reserved for God and God alone.

Some forms of religion still maintain a go-between where humans must rely on a spiritual advocate to communicate with God. While this seems “helpful”, it is, in reality, very detrimental. I heard a song which stated, “God ain’t never had a grandchild, only a child will do.” The meaning is that each person is directly related to God. There is no need for an advocate for us to commune with Him. It is even more than that. There is no one who can answer for anyone else. We are each responsible to God. The only advocate we need is Jesus, who said, “He ever lives to intercede for us.”

Should we pray for others? Yes! Jesus did this very thing. He told Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:32 ESV) He did not step in and speak to God for Peter. He prayed that Peter would be able to believe in God for himself. This should be the focus of the religious community; to help others discover their sacred space. We are born with a desire and ability to commune with God. It’s called grace. Life sometimes causes us to lose this built-in acknowledgment of God. We lose clarity on who God is: His character, His nature. But God is the One who draws us to himself. No one can approach God for us, but we can provide encouragement by sharing the truth about God and helping others discover Him in their sacred space.

Some have found a way to live life from their sacred space. People like Brother Lawrence, author of The Practice of the Presence, developed habits to keep his mind in the sacred place, being aware that everything we do should be done as worship to God. Most of us can only dwell in our sacred place during times of contemplation as we think on the goodness of God, and our complete dependence on Him. Regardless of how often, we need to develop patterns of communion with God. Paul encourages us to have times of communion “often”, implying it should be frequent. (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Above all else, find a way to keep the lines of communication open with God. Do not allow anything or anyone to encroach upon this sacred space. God is always there. Make sure you are as well.