Place Matters
The Psalm appointed for this weekend speaks of the glory of the temple.
We all know the problems associated with equating spirituality and buildings. The book of Revelation describes the final future as one with no temple. Yet I think we would do well not to underestimate the significance of place in our lives. And buildings are often the locus for place. The pandemic took us away from buildings. At least 30 percent of us who use to frequent a building to practice our religion no longer do so. I think that is a big loss for all of us. Place matters. Buildings, while not everything, can serve to focus our lives and our disciplines. They also provide a concrete place for us to rub elbows with others, something that is not incidental to the practice of faith.