Sacred - Just As I Am

Some of my favorite places to walk are cathedrals or temples when they are not in use. There is a feeling I cannot find anywhere else but there and in nature. The space holds a stillness and quiet that’s unmatched. It can feel vast with its arches, windows, pillars, and light. It can fold me tightly in its comparable smallness to God. There are few man-made things that give me that feeling.

One such church is the Chartres Cathedral in France. I was able to visit during Easter weekend one year and it really was spectacular. There were so many things that gave it a feeling of comfort for me. So many features that brought my attention back to my Creator and just set my heart at ease. I felt peace…. Just peace.

Many of us have heard that our bodies are a temple. This scripture is often quoted, spoken on, and for me can be a constant reminder of how poorly I care for my physical and mental being, but it shouldn’t be. Or at least that’s what God wanted me to hear today. 

"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

I must confess that when I read it, I took the “you” to be singular when it is actually plural. But I am a part of that “you” so, plural or not, I think it’s okay to think on it either way. My physical and spiritual body are home to the Holy Spirit. He walks with me through everything. He is also free to roam about the “rooms” of me. 

(Side note: A long time ago I read “My Heart, Christ’s Home” and it made this so much easier to understand. Check it out if you think I’m losing my mental faculties. My least favorite rooms were the closets where my skeletons hide.)

Knowing that I house the Spirit of God is a bit intimidating. How does my home make Him feel? Is He comfortable or shocked? Does He do everything He can to “run errands” so He doesn’t have to be home? Maybe it annoys Him how often I rearrange the furniture. Does He love to sit and chuckle as He listens to the roller coaster that is my thought process? Does He care if my house is kept well inside and out? There are so many aspects I can tie to this idea of “my body” being God’s home - mental, physical, spiritual - they all influence the feel of my house. 

If it were me, I’d care. Sad, but honest. I’d care if there were holes in the drywall that needed fixing. I’d care if the screen door were falling off its hinges. I’d care if, in remodeling the deck, I put the least amount of effort into its construction and safety. It’s hard to put the best effort into everything all the time. It gets tiring and can seem overwhelming. And yet that is what I think of when I hear this verse… all of the work I need to do on it.

When I was visiting Chartres, the cathedral was being cleaned. Years of dirt and grime had built up on its walls and pillars. The stained glass windows were looking a bit sad and dark. The ambient light was being clouded, making the church seem as if it were in the shadows. It almost felt cold in some places. So, one section at a time, it was being cleaned and refreshed. 

It’s not hard to apply this picture to myself. I work on one section at a time and do my best to make it a home. It will never be perfect (bummer) so I will always be at work on it. I’ve heard all this before but verse 17 is what struck me. “God’s temple is sacred.” 

Read that again. 

It doesn’t say it’s perfect. It doesn’t say it’s even finished. Cathedrals can take hundreds of years to complete and are worked on by many people/generations. It says that it is sacred.

I am sacred. Not perfect, not finished, not sparkling clean. Sacred. I am of great value to God! Just because I am His. Just because I invite Him to walk my halls. Which means that He is always there. He helps me with my home. I am not alone in caring for it. 

Phew! I stink at keeping a “perfect” house so having a Coworker to help with “housecleaning" is so nice. My messes are less likely to be overlooked when there is another set of eyes to see them. He will also not tolerate my desecration. He won’t let me be the one desecrating myself. He will not stand my degrading words or complaints about my temple. Finished and clean or not, I am sacred to Him and I should treat myself as such.

Is the temple in Chartres perfect? No. Was it built overnight? Not even close. But is it full of beauty and peace? Yes! God’s presence makes it so. Therefore, I am full of beauty and peace if He is in me. 

So, am I gonna go on a rampage to “clean up” my house? Nope. I will continue to spend time with God and let Him help me with one section at a time. And if I get overwhelmed and can’t even help clean, I am still sacred to Him. Just as I am.