Sydney Grogan - Reading Reflection 1 - Entry 7

Landscapes of the Sacred, reflection from pages 1-38


This entry will be dedicated to the four axioms of a sacred place. These four guiding axioms are meant to help people understand the true character of sacred places, since they are so extraordinary & holy.

The first axiom states that, a "sacred place is not chosen, it chooses". In essence, this means that people cannot choose any old place & make it sacred; a sacred place can only become sacred through the presence of God, spirituality, and/or spiritual rituals over time. This also means that sacred places call certain people towards them, inviting those people into them as they are drawn there for a reason. 

The second axiom states that, a "sacred place is [an] ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary". The word 'ritually' can be in reference to long-lasting, spiritual rituals or practices that have been passed down for a multitude of generations, but it can also be in reference to ritual by a single individual, something that someone may have never done in that place before. A classic example of this lies within the song, In My Room, written by The Beach Boys. His room is a sacred place for him. It is sacred because he has ritually made it so; in the song he talks about how he plays music there, tells secrets in there, & locks out his worries & fears. These are examples of rituals he performs in this space. Through his rituals of playing music & telling secrets, he is making his room sacred by investing immense trust within the space. 

The third axiom states that, a "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered". Essentially, this means that what is a sacred place to some, may not be to others. People can walk into a sacred place, but not truly enter it; someone may be in a well-known sacred place, yet not feel as if it is sacred to them in any way. A great example of this also comes from the song, In My Room, by The Beach Boys. If someone else were to enter his room, it is probable that they would not feel the sanctity there that he does. Therefore, others could tred into his room, but not enter the sacredness of the space as he does.

The fourth axiom states that, "the impulse of [a] sacred place is both centripetal & centrifugal, local & universal". Lane describes the meaning behind this final axiom best, saying that, "One is recurrently driven to a quest for centeredness –– a focus on the particular place of divine encounter –– & then at other times driven out from that center with an awareness that God is never confined to a single locale." Though it makes the most sense (at least for me) to think of a sacred place always as an actual, physical space, it can also be transcended past physical places, & be something that you take with you wherever you go. The spirit of God is in all of our hearts, all the time, all at once, & that is truly sacred.



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