The idea that certain places can bring us closer to God conflicts with the idea of omnipresence
By Jim Hatton
National Geographic recently aired a piece on their video channel about sacred artifacts with a particular focus on the Crown of Thorns — allegedly worn by Jeshua ben Joseph while carrying his crucifixion cross. This “crown” was forced on him as a symbol of disgrace by the Romans. Since then, Christians have turned it into a symbol of their hope and longing to be closer to God. The Crown of Thorns is housed and protected at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Another such sacred symbol is the Burning Bush encountered by Moses. This bush is supposedly still growing at St. Catherine’s Monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai in Egypt. Jews and Christians alike revere this bush as a sacred symbol of God.
And then there is the Muslim Kaaba, a stone building housed inside the Great Mosque in Mecca, the final destination in the Hajj — the Muslim pilgrimage undertaken by hundreds of thousands of worshipers to show their devotion to Allah.
For those of us who have been able to visit such places, there seems to be a heightened energy emanating from these sacred artifacts or locales. They can definitely be inspirational. Some pilgrims even experience healings and spiritual awakenings — as evidenced by the crutches that are left hanging on the walls of the grotto of Lourdes in France.
The fervor to be “closer to God” can be a very strong energy, driving many to go to great lengths in terms of travel and personal sacrifice to show signs of their devotion. We have to question whether it is possible that the spiritual atmosphere surrounding these artifacts and locales is created by the fervent religious intensity of the visiting pilgrims who believe that they will be closer to their most important deity if they are in close proximity to these sacred artifacts or places.
The belief that the divine can be found in certain geographical locations actually goes against an important tenet of most major religions and traditions: Omnipresence. Those who believe in the principle of Omnipresence would maintain that God is everywhere, all the time. Yet, if one is looking for God in a certain place, it must mean that God is not in the place where the search is starting! It is such a saddening thought that God is only in certain places.
In Eastern religions, in Sufism, in the Kabbalah and other mystical traditions, it is believed that God created us by becoming us. This is known as “Emanation.” It means that one does not have to travel to a particular place, at a particular time, to find or to be closer to God. This is good news! All one has to do is simply turn within. Turning within in meditation and listening means going to that inner realm identified by Joel Goldsmith in his book “Beyond Words and Thoughts.” It has also been termed the Secret Place of the Most High.
And as the Sufi poet Rumi expressed it so eloquently in verse:
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Blessings on your journey.
Jim Hatton is an author, spiritual teacher and speaker. He makes his home in the Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon. Contact him at jim@jimhatton.com.
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