Sacredness Within

She brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Then she stood behind Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  --Luke 7:38

The lectionary my church is using this Sunday asks us to reflect on Luke 7:36—50, the story of the (unnamed) woman) who anoints Jesus' feet with oil, tears, and her hair. It is a touching scene. Luke describes her as a woman, well known in the community for having many sins. Jesus meets her gesture with mercy and forgiveness. Simon, the well-off Pharisee at whose house this scene takes place, questions how Jesus allows her to touch him in this way.  Jesus answers him that she was lavishing him with love in measure for all the sins for which she was forgiven.  He contrasts this to Simon's small heart and the lack of love he has shown to Jesus since they arrived at his house. Which of the characters in this story understood their sacredness more? 

Jesus' sacredness comes as a given in the gospels.  It's something he tries not to flaunt, but his frequent actions and words reveal a for-real confidence and certainty in his spirit.  

The Pharisee presumes his sacredness.  Much as many in the religious structural orders assume a certain haughtiness about their position with God, their lack of sensitivity and perception of those around them betrays their puffery.

Then there is the woman. I'm just going to give her a name, for she deserves one. I choose Desiree because she knows where she comes from and desires greatly for the Messiah to see her and remember her.  She takes her full authentic self, casts aside all the cultural baggage that villagers have heaped on her, and takes the radical steps for a woman to trespass in a wealthy man's house, side-stepping all the gossip about her, and without asking touches Jesus in a quite intimate way - even by our own social standards today!  And Jesus filled with Spirit, accepts her, forgives her, blesses her, and receives from her what she has - profound gratitude to him for restoring her sacred worth.

How do we connect with our sacredness?  For from out of our sacredness comes our resilience to roll with what life throws at us. Our sacredness instills us with a peaceful countenance and a firm confidence of knowing whatever may come we will survive.  We will have the certainty to take loving actions toward all those we come into contact with because our sacred will recognize and speak to the sacred in another.

So some sacredness-building ideas:

1) Affirm and love yourself. If you can look in a mirror and say "I love you," and mean it then you're on the right track.  If not, practice it, no matter how stupid you feel, until you don't feel that way and do find truth in the statement. While you're at it, get in the habit of every time you see yourself in any reflection, find something that you really like in what you see.  

2) Look for the good.  Being critical, judgemental, and assuming the worst is a culturally inculcated habit-forming creed but it's not the lead step of one with healthy sacredness. It is a harmless assumption and probably quite often true that everyone you meet has something bubbling under the surface that is not okay with them.  Our trite auto-response of "Fine" to another's question of "How are you?" is more due to a lack of trust/time/closeness or sheer overwhelmedness.  We don't have to pry the truth out of anyone. Just know that "fine" probably doesn't wholly mean fine and pray for them - or better yet, when you part, offer a short blessing like, "May everything come together for you today just right."

3) Do spend some time daily looking for joy, gratitude, love, kindness, and things to praise for going right.  When we look for something, we have a far more likely chance of finding/seeing it.  When you see it, you feel it, and that feeds your soul's sacredness. Along with this time can come some compassionate prayer -- lifting or "sending energy" to others you know are in need.  The Spirit realm is holding the world together. I believe that!

4) Nearly every place has a park or a place where nature's beauty still holds out against concrete and structures. Take advantage of being in that space at least weekly.  In Japan, far more densely populated than most places, they are encouraged to do "forest bathing" which has been proven to lower blood pressure and stress.  God's greatest sacred moment was birthing you and creation at large. Sacred rubbing elbows with sacred generate more. 

5) Confessing your screw-ups takes away the tarnish on your sacred. I don't have to list the "sins" for you to watch for.  You have a built-in detector and you know when there is a wrong that is smudging up your spirit. Confess it and be done with it.  Confessions are still heard by priests/pastors, but it doesn't have to be a "religious authority."  Good friends will listen.  I find trees remarkably well-equipped!  You can write it out (and then burn it). And then, go back to #1!

6) Don't forget to be kind.  It's among the best exercises for endowing your sacredness.

May a galaxy of Blessings flood your day!

AMEN.