Skip to main content

Shrine Theologies

I asked how is it that the Son of God walked on the dust of this earth and breathed the air that we still breathe, and yet neither the dust nor the air is either sanctified nor does it sanctify us, and I remembered this verse from Haggai:

"If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?"" Then the priests answered and said, "No." (Haggai 2:12).

Sadly, many are deceived by the shrine and fetish theology of paganism that treats places and objects as holier than others and possessing sanctifying and salvific powers. The dust of Jerusalem or the water of Jordan is not holier than the dust of India just because the Savior walked on that ground. There is only one holy place in the world today, and that is the body of a believer, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. God calls us to possess our vessels in holiness (1Thess.4:4), not externalize holiness to places and things like the pagan do.

PS: Haggai 2:13 tells us that the unclean can make the clean (not holy) unclean; this is true of all sinful humans; but, in contrast, the unclean couldn't defile Christ, for He is the Pure One. Athanasius gave a beautiful illustration when he likened the Incarnation of Christ to the rays of the sun falling on the dust of the ground. The dust cannot pollute the sun.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Tale of Something, or Nothing, and God

In the beginning was God and nothing. Then, God created something out of nothing. But, soon that something forgot she was once a nothing. And, forgetting herself and God, she assumed herself to be everything. And, assuming herself to be everything, she died to everything else and God. After many days, when this something had run out of everything she got, She came to her senses and "Who am I? Where am I?" she thought. Then, she realized she was a nothing without her God, And so returned to her original place in God. In the end was God and something.

Not I but Grace

I worked...yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Cor. 15:10) I get tired and weary most times; grace, never. I feel weak sometimes; grace, never. I get confused at times; grace, never. I see darkness at times; grace, never. I wish to give up sometimes; grace, never. I fail many times; grace, never. I have misunderstandings at times; grace, never. I am afraid at times; grace, never. I feel broken sometimes; grace comes to heal. I feel estranged sometimes; grace comes to comfort. I feel purposeless sometimes; grace comes to guide. I feel powerless sometimes; grave comes to strengthen. I feel I am that I am because of what I am; grace departs.... For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

August 15 Speech - School

Honorable Director, Respected Chief Guest, Principal, Teachers, and Dear Friends: It gives me great honor to speak on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day Celebration of India. As we know, our country went through various phases of foreign domination, finally falling subject to the British Crown, before we saw the Sun of Freedom rise over our nation. But we were never slaves to anyone. In our minds we were always a free spirit. Mahatma Gandhi said, "The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states." Freedom begins within, first, then comes in action externally. The Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl said, "Forces beyond control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation." This sense and life of freedom, subject only to the Law of God, to the Law of Justice, Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity, is the spring and fountain...