Dear en,
I was interested to read George Moody’s article on ‘place and space’ in the November issue of en, but remain to be convinced of the theology behind it.
It’s a trait of our human nature that we become passionate about particular places which have a strong emotional appeal to us, and attach ‘sacred’ status to them. So there are great football stadiums in our country where fans will often say they experience a unique atmosphere – and will even call it ‘sacred’.
And who could attend a Keswick Convention and not be deeply moved by God’s Word being set forth amid the grandeur of the Lake District location? But (as with the Bath & West Showground) does this make it in some way a sacred place? Beautiful, yes, and unique – but to call it sacred immediately implies that other places are not special in the same way. While this distinction can be made in the Old Testament, I am not sure it survives into the New. In fact, it seems it can even become quite a negative factor, spiritually.
In John 11.48, it is their desire to preserve their sacred ‘place’ that leads the Sanhedrin to act against Jesus just before the Passover. And Jesus is decidedly unimpressed by the disciples’ attachment to the Temple buildings (Mark 13.1-2).
It seems to me that in the New Testament, the sacred place has become ‘in Christ’ – which describes every true believer, whatever his/her location.
Yours sincerely,
