Sanctuary

 Seeking Sanctuary in Our Own Sacred Spaces

by Parker J. Palmer

When I was a kid, "sanctuary" meant

only one thing. It was a big room with

the stained glass windows and hard

wooden benches where my family

worshipped every Sunday. Church

attendance was not optional for my sisters

and me, so that sanctuary was where I

learned to pray - pray that the service

would end and God would release me

back into the wild. I also learned that not

all prayers are answered, no matter how

ardent.

Today, after 77 years of life in a world

that's both astonishingly beautiful and

horrifically cruel, "sanctuary" is as vital as

breathing to me. Sometimes I find it in

churches, monasteries, and other sites

designated as sacred. But more often I

find it in places scared to my soul: in the

natural world, in the company of a

trustworthy friend, in a solitary or shared

silence, in the ambience of a good poem

or good music.

Sanctuary is wherever I find a safe space to

regain my bearings, reclaim my soul, heal

my wounds, and return to the world as a

wounded healer. It's not merely about

finding shelter from the storm: it's about

spiritual survival. Today, seeking

sanctuary is no more optional for me than

church attendance was as a child.

Moni's friend from work, Stephanie, walked into our house and said it was a sanctuary. We agree.

Sanctuary, by Carrie Newcomer, is a beautiful song from her album The Beautiful Not Yet. It has a nice message about refuge.