Day 25 – Sacred


January 3, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)


© Photo by Bonnie Schupp

This morning welcomed me with dampened sounds drifting through bare branches. The nearby Lutheran church bells were playing Holy, Holy, Holy. I love the sound of church bells, not because it makes me think about a deity or because it makes me want to pray, but because it breathes on my own internal wind chime and stirs a feeling of wholeness in me.

What is holy and is this word anchored to religion only? The English etymology goes back to the 11th century meaning—something that must be preserved whole and cannot be violated. The Scottish hale means health, happiness and wholeness, not necessarily related to a god. The word holy is often replaced with the word sacred.

Most religions connect sacredness with icons such as the Bible, the Quran. Sometimes people become violent when their religious icons are destroyed, such as in the 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests where 30 people were killed and many more injured. To some, the word holy is a companion to war, which destroys life. I believe in the holiness of life, not objects or religious icons.

What is sacred for me are intangible moments such as the time I spent with my father in the Oak Crest chapel with rays of light coming through the window. It was not a holy instant because the setting was in a chapel; the magic and meaning had nothing to do with religion. It was sacred because it illuminated the connection I held with my father. For me, what is most sacred are connections that touch the human spirit, with or without belief in any god. This moment, this now, is holy. I am connected and whole.

Today’s gift is now, this moment.

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> DAY 26 Humanity's Common Bond
You can read my other posts on this project here:

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