“This sacral relation to the
earth involves a reciprocity between person and place. As one has been nurtured
by the soil and ambience of a given locale, one learns – in turn – to revere
the site that has become the anchor of memory” (Lane, 6).
The earth is full of sacred
places ranging from temples to fields which give rise to religious expression
and personal discovery. In some sacred spaces,
people find themselves removed from life’s distractions and in tune with the
Divine, or Ultimate Reality. Generally,
after an encounter with God, people leave changed and emotionally connected to
that experience. There are pilgrimages
to the Holy Land because they serve as a place of encounter. It is through these sacred journeys that people
find new meaning to life and a fresh project to implement. The Bible in particular, is full of accounts
where men encounter something greater than themselves; the living and
relational God. It is in these
interactions that the Holy appears and the subject becomes present. An emotional bond is formed between the
person and the surrounding environment.
This sacral relation to the earth, according to John K. Wright,
“involves a reciprocity between person and place.” (Lane, 2002, pg. 6). Thus, the Christian expression of communing
with God provides purpose to both the subject as well as the sacred place
itself.
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