What a peaceful word! The root of the word actually suggests “set apart; separate.” Further dictionary exploration suggests “a holy or sacred place, a place of protection and safety.” Consider other words from this origin: sanction, sanctity, sanctimonious. Some words reflect positivity and others, not so much. I like the idea of being set apart–like at church where there is usually a space set apart for worship. Even in nature we think of a wildlife sanctuary as a special place of protection and refuge. Imagine this:
S afe
A uthentic
N eeds met
C hrist-centered
T houghtful
U nderstanding
A live
R estful
Y es!
Can people be sanctuaries? Of course. There is a song about it: “Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true…”
We can be a safe place for our faith to be held deep inside ready to be guided by that faith daily. We can also be a sanctuary for others–a safe relationship in which to engage.
Do you know where your sanctuaries are? Do you understand the special qualities of those sanctuaries in your life?
Are you a sanctuary?
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