I think creating "sacred space" is different from what I used to think it was.
Isn't it this space, this special place set aside for meeting God, a place reserved for Him, for encountering Him? Isn't it this mindset of quiet and rest that is ushered in with the lighting of a candle and the rehearsing of my heart's preparatory prayer? Isn't it the time each day that I settle into who my God is and who I am in relation to Him?
Or is there something more?
What if these things make it easier for me to recognize a sacred space but they do not make the space sacred? For is it not the presence of Jesus, the fragrance of his very presence permeating, filling this place that makes it sacred? Have I not in fact made the mistake the Pharisees did in thinking that the things here or my actions here serve to set aside and sanctify this place; but instead, it is the very presence of Jesus meeting with me, his beloved, that makes this place special. Is it not so in the everyday of life?
Just as a candle burning in a room even when unseen can permeate it with its fragrance, the frangrance of my God can (and does) fill the air of my ordinary day. And if he is there, then that place is just as sacred as my special place at home. And if this is true, my lack of awareness of his presence means I am missing opportunities to experience his presence, to see his work, to join in when invited, to know him better.
O, Jesus, my Lover-God, open my heart's eyes to see and know you throughout this day.
