PAID BONUS READ: Why the Sacred Matters

Society devoid of a spiritual dimension will soon become its own divinity.

I’ve developed a habit over the years, when travelling – or perhaps ‘an interest’ is a fairer word. Although I’ve never professed to be a Christian, I like to drop by at a church from time to time, especially if there are older ones. The chance to sit down on a pew and gaze into a space that has traversed the ages, while dedicated to eternity, and see momentary prayer candles burn up, has almost always been a beautiful respite on my wanderings. But not just a moment of respite – it has also been a reminder that somewhere in this hectic world, sanctities remain, buildings have been erected for them, and the experience of that fact alone has proven invigorating. (Noteworthy, perhaps, how the word ‘respite’ comes from ‘respiration’, or in other words acknowledges the restorative quality of ‘catching one’s breath’, or quietening down.)

What does it mean to say that something is sacred? I have thought of it as something which is of intrinsic importance for us. In other words, that the purpose of holding something sacred is to preserve it, since its loss would mean the crumbling of our whole being or identity.