Brendan McElroy #1 Landscapes of the Sacred

Two of the axioms that Lane speaks upon really stuck out to me. “…sacred place is not chosen, it chooses,” and “…scared place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary.” The first of these really interests me because I have seen it in my own life. I have been to many places and spent time in some really spiritually beautiful places, but only some of them have really stuck out to me. One in particular, I was skiing in Vermont, and it was probably about 8 A.M. I decided to take a seat at the top of the hill while my buddy strapped into his snowboard. While I was sitting, I got a glance of creation that was so beautiful words could not describe. It was so beautiful, I was so taken over I couldn’t even take a picture because I didn’t want to look away and miss it. I got shivers down my spine and instantly connected with God. I found myself marveling at his creation and what he had done. But was interesting about that, was I didn’t chose to have that spiritual encounter, that place chose me. The second axiom is one that also connects to that same story. Because to many, that slope was just a usual ski slope that probably 200 skiers had gone down already that morning. So to all of them, it was just a regular ski slope that they were going to enjoy. But to me, it was not just a regular slope. Because of the experience I had there, that ordinary place became spiritually extraordinary. In reading Lanes axioms, I have found that these two have happened to me, and I have gotten the chance to experience them.