It’s a social media phenomenon. You re-post the thing that you care about to show everyone else who follows you that you care about it. Politics, social justice issues, even holidays. Sometimes, this shows solidarity, or maybe is an opportunity to share with others who might not have seen or heard about the issue. Sometimes, it’s a reaction to angry or sad feelings. Sometimes, I confess, I’ve used it as a tool to help me “move on” from my feelings.
When you have a sacred place in your home, a place that reflects your heart and your world, you have a place to bring these issues as well. I have noticed that when I am burdened by injustice, I have a desire to spend some time with it. To spend some time writing someone’s name down on a paper, finding a piece of art that reflects the pain, the anger and the despair, lighting a candle and making the sign of the cross.
At this time in my life, as I approach prayer falteringly, and am always questioning my theology, the sacred spot is the place where I can lament and show honor to those who are suffering. When the Charleston Church Massacre happened, in June 2015, I brought some rosemary to the place I had set up a sacred spot, thinking in my heart “Rosemary for remembrance.” It was remembrance for those who had been killed, but it was also remembrance for why and how. It was a place I could touch the edges and find the shape of the thing I knew was white supremacy. It is there, and I cannot move on or forget. This was a signal of some sort to myself, to begin again in honoring those who suffer and die because of this evil thing, to name it and fight it.
The sacred spot is the place to bring your sorrow for injustice. Write out a name. Put a sprig of rosemary, light a candle and reflect on an image of Christ suffering. Unlike the social media phenomenon, it is tangible, you can touch it and smell it. And maybe you will post a picture, like I do sometimes, but the reason you do it is to hold yourself there with the thing you hate, that you mourn.
I will never forget Padraig O’Tuama sharing about the idea of Jesus descending into hell on Holy Saturday. That it’s important-Jesus goes into the dark place, a cave of suffering so that when we find ourselves there, where it feels we are beyond his reach we also find him, “Christ, our lonely and suffering brother”. This image of finding Christ in that darkness, alone and sad; not rescuing us, but with us, is haunting and heartbreaking.
So I come to the sacred spot sometimes wondering what to do with the anguish of injustice, the fear, the violence. And Christ, my lonely and suffering brother is there.