Holy Ground

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the  Lord  is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”  He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16, 17 NIV)

Back in the days of the Jewish temple, God was thought to be found only there... behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies.  With Jesus' crucifixion, the curtain was torn and we now know that God is to be found everywhere.  We know he is with us wherever we go and with everyone else wherever they go.  He can be found on the mountain top and in the beauty of nature, be he can also be found in a crack house in the middle of a New York slum.

Yes, we know God is everywhere, but there are spaces in our lives where we recognize his presence more strongly than any other place.  The first time I stepped on the ground of Camp Loy White after I made my Via de Cristo weekend, I felt an almost overwhelming need to take off my shoes, for I was on holy ground.  I felt God everywhere. There are a couple places in my home where I regularly talk to God... whenever I approach these places, I feel God's presence.  And then there is Holy Cross... where I had my first communion; where Richard and I refound and grew our faith together; where our boys were baptised and our eldest just married; where Cecelia looks for her Jesus and Emma was baptized.  Where God does amazing things through amazing people throughout the year.

God is everywhere.  But his presence is more acutely felt in those places where we have experienced him face to face.  Maybe we should cultivate more Holy Ground in our lives.  If we experience God in more places, we will feel his presence more consistantly in our everyday environments.  Cultivate some new Holy Ground today.

Holy God,
I know you are with me everywhere, but I feel you more deeply in those special place where we have met.  Help me to make more of those special places.  Amen.

Joys: Lunch with the newlyweds; such a pretty day yesterday after such a bleak, rainy, cold Tuesday, Wade's portrayal of Herod last night