Landscapes of the Sacred Reflection- Jamie Englert

Lane has four axioms that he believes help us understand the character of sacred space. The fourth axiom, “that the impulse of sacred place is both-centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal” (19) is particularly interesting to me. In class we discussed page 35 when Lane states, “We long to be placed in the land of the holy, but on gaining possession of the sanctuary we come quickly to presume upon its guaranteed mystery—only then to be driven from it in search of yet another place, another center of meaning.” This statement seemed very complex to me but after reading it several times I think I finally understood the truth it presented. We have this desire to be in a place that is holy and when we get there, we have the expectation that the chthonic power will no doubt affect us because it is so close. But it is this pre-conceived notion we have that simultaneously drives us away from the holy. We obtain what we were searching for and yet still have the need for more. It goes back to the local and universal concept—wanting to believe the holy is limitless and everywhere but still desiring that it can be pinpointed to a location and be personal. An example of this axiom can be seen in Christianity. There is the belief that God is all powerful and mighty, having control over the entire universe but at the same time dwelling within us and always being accessible in an intimate manner. It is the unfathomable mystery of God in the Christian faith that shows this dual character of the holy.