Sacred and Profane

The idea that one day is holy which implies that the other six are unholy was something which stayed rooted in me for a long time.  Too long.  And along with it was the parallel idea that the church was a holy place in a profane world.  Part of this came from a seminary course in theological school which had us reading a book by Mircea Eliade entitled, "The Sacred and the Profane."  Knowing me, I likely read it too fast and did not understand completely what the author was saying.  Nonetheless, I lived for a long time with this view of the world which made a few things sacred and holy and most everything else profane, or unholy.    

It was only when retirement took me away from the church and the holy place became more distant did I begin to struggle with the loss of the holy.  What came out of the struggle was the realization that the church was only one holy place midst a holy world.  There was something about walking daily with the creation unfolding around me that opened eyes to see what had not been seen.  Not only is the world a holy place, but every moment is a holy gift being given to us by the Creator who put us in the place we find ourselves.     

Others surely figured all this out long before me.  This is true of many who have shared the road of faith with me and true of many who have walked the road long centuries before me.  I confess to being a slow learner.  The world around us is not a perfect world as we might define perfection, but it is a holy world.  Perfection is not necessary for someone or something to be holy.  What is required is the hand print, or the creative breath of the Creator who has brought everything and everyone that is into being.