Axioms for the Study of Sacred Place - Tara Thompson

In this chapter, Lane explains sacred place through four axioms. The first is, “sacred place is not chosen, it chooses”. Lane explains this further, saying “God chooses to reveal himself only where he wills”. I would definitely agree with Lane here. I don’t believe someone can walk up to a beautiful oak tree and say, “God, reveal yourself to me right here, right now”. God doesn’t work like that. By showing himself to you when you are least expecting it you are rewarded so much more and experience him in ways you weren’t expecting to. The second axiom is that, “sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary”. A place becomes sacred after people view it as sacred, and make efforts for it. When people decided that one a year they need to take pilgrimage to a certain location, such as Mecca, that place hold a special meaning, therefore becoming holy. The third axiom is, “sacred place can be tred upon without being entered”. I think what Lane means by this, is that God can be waiting to reveal himself to you through a place, but it isn’t until you are in the right state of mind, and your guard is down that you actually enter the sacredness of that space. The fourth and last axiom is, “the impulse of sacred place is both, centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal”. Lane states that “God is never confined to a single locale”. In some incredible way, God is everywhere, yet is still able to be present in your specific sacred space, all at the same time.