Sacred space

Are there places in your daily life that have a special spiritual significance for you? For some it's a church or temple. For others, as noted by Ken Burns on "Sunday Morning" this week when speaking of the National Parks, it's the cathedral experienced in the grandeur of nature. Some find that sacred space at home, or in the workshop or studio. In the Bible Moses found sacred space near a burning bush. A voice from heaven instructed him to remove his shoes because the place he was standing was holy ground.

A person of faith often gravitates to a place where the encounter with God has been most real. Are there such places, though, for those who seem uninterested in spiritual matters? Yes, I think so. There is an element of awe and wonder that is at the heart of human existence. Sometimes, quite unexpectedly, we stumble on that sense of reality that is a cut above the ordinary. The disciple can recognize in this the assurance of the companionship of Christ which fosters a deep peace in the midst of the uncertainty and challenge of life. The one who is not yet a disciple may nevertheless be wondering what that awareness of sacred space in his or her life is all about.