OPINION —
Even though the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants, when Abraham sojourned there he and Sarah didn’t live in the best house of a high-end neighborhood. They lived in tents—as their son Isaac would and after him, his son Jacob. They were able to do this because they were “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
What about us? It’s easy to get attached to this world, isn’t it? We are bombarded daily with a chorus of voices from advertisers to influencers, all trying to convince us that the latest, greatest gadget or item is absolutely essential to our existence. And if we live by sight as many around us do, then it seems like the things of this world are all we have.
It takes the eye of faith to see ourselves as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) who are just here for a brief period of time. Psalm 84:5 reminds us that, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” Keeping our hearts set on pilgrimage is easier when we remember “a person is not a fool to give up what they cannot keep to gain what they cannot lose.”
The altars that Abraham built during his time in Canaan were symbols of his devotion to God. Sometimes God told him to build them, while at other times they were apparently his idea (see Genesis 12:7-8). On such occasions, he built them because it was in his heart to do so. He built them because he wanted to give thanks to God and worship Him.
There’s something powerful about a sacred space. That’s what these altars were. They were places Abraham set aside from everything else to honor, praise, and seek God. This is how a pilgrim continues to live as a pilgrim. They meet God in sacred spaces.
It makes you wonder what would happen if we treated the places where we gather more like a sacred space. What if we turned off our phones or didn’t A bring them in? (Trust me, the world will be okay for the couple of hours we’re in church). Can you imagine what that could do to our time together? Instead, we walk in with our mocha choca latte datte in one hand and our technology in the other and our focus is already diluted. We are distracted disciples missing out on the power of sacred space.
We can learn something from Abraham.
Find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.