This
past summer, I went on a family vacation to Bermuda. I don’t think I have ever
loved a place so much in my life. When I was younger, I thought I loved Key
West. I soon came to realize my love for that place was probably due to the
fact that Key West was the place that I experienced the goodness of frozen,
dark chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick and no other dessert quite
seemed to measure up. The difference between my love for Bermuda and my love
for Key West is far deeper than a petty sugary indulgence. More than anything,
I believe, Bermuda moved me spiritually. There are different stories from
Bermuda that effectively emulate the four axioms discussed in Lane’s Landscapes
of the Sacred.
First,
I will tell you about our trip to the cathedral. Although my family has
converted from Anglican to nondenominational Christian, we attended the Holy
Trinity Church with my grandfather so he could reminisce on his childhood when
he was dragged by his ear to go to this church with his family. While we were
in Bermuda, we visited many cathedrals that were breathtakingly beautiful, but
none had the same impact as Holy Trinity. My grandfather was baptized in this
place; he spent his childhood tuning out the sermons in this place. This place
was special-not because of fantastic gothic architecture or the beautiful gold
detail along the walls, but because this church played a part in where my
grandfather is today-and because of that, where I am today. God used this
church in His ultimate plan for my family’s life.
The
picture above is an example of sacred place that is tred upon without being
entered. There is a plaque that tells all about the significance of this place,
but I did not feel it. I was in full tourist mode as I explored this area. So
many people come to this place to pray and be with the Lord, but it just seemed
to me as a grassy area with some wooden crosses.
When
I was snorkeling in Bermuda, I experienced the Lord in a way that I would have
never imagined possible. It took the mellow demeanor of the marine life to
really take my heart “out of the marketplace” and put it into the hands of God.
Even through the fog of my goggles, I could see the vivid colors of the coral
and fish around me. That state of being helped me realize what it was like to swim
with God. The impulse felt both centripetal and centrifugal.
Finally,
my trip to Bermuda as a whole proves the point that sacred place is not chosen,
but it choses. My family and I were drawn to Bermuda, but not consciously drawn
spiritually. We thought we were going to celebrate heritage and visit my
grandpa’s old house. Instead, the Lord touched our hearts through the wildlife,
the architecture, the terrain, the people and their way of life. We experienced
God’s creativity and love in a way so immaculately different than ever before.
The originality of our encounter just made the impact all that much more
significant.
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