Brock Henderson

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The Sacred

We, humans, are a funny lot. We like to divide our lives into neat little boxes with no overlap. It's easier that way, or so we think. These false divisions and boundaries happen with every part of life. I've had countless discussions with intelligent, articulate people around what separates the sacred from the secular. Some believe a line exists between the two. However, I have come to think everything is sacred.

Wendell Berry has this beautiful quote about the land, "There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places." Mr. Berry's words point to the mindset I have adopted. Everything is sacred because God created everything, and He said it was good. He cares intimately about every part of it, so I need to see it as sacred and humbly treat it as such.

It's all sacred, and if anything, it's all desecrated too. No corner of creation has escaped The Fall; everything has been beaten up, polluted, and distorted. The good news is that God still cares about His creation. He hasn't abandoned it; He's redeeming it, and He is inviting us to lend a hand.