Anne Taylor Robertson 2

Landscapes- Masks of the Holy
“Common things, common actions, common relationships are all granted new definition because the holy has once and for all become ordinary in Jesus Christ.” Belden C. Lane
Lane talks about the meaning of holiness in a section of his book. He discusses how often times, the simple things we come across in life are actually holy. Though it seems like only fancy and elaborate things can be holy, the opposite is actually true. We always overlook the things that hold the most importance in our lives. What happens when the holy is masked is this: the most ordinary thing in our lives will somehow seem to be filled with holiness. The divine occupies it for a time (also kairos), and for that moment, the ordinary thing represents what is holy. It does not define holiness or become holiness, but holiness manifests itself in that ordinary object. Lane states it clearly, “The stick reveals its fullness only because of the emptied Christ… Neither the stick, nor the falling leaf, nor the wonder of my own children ever reveals the fully formed face of Christ,” (Lane 72). The stick, the leaf, and his children (his example), is the ordinary object, given the ability to display a small part of Christ’s holiness. So when we are able to experience the outdoors and enjoy the majesty of the ocean or the mountains, we see for a moment a fraction of the holiness of Christ.