Finding Holy Ground

ONLINE REFLECTION, ST. PAUL’S, FOLEY – PROPER 16, YEAR A

AUGUST 23, 2020

TEXT:               Matthew 16:13-20

Collect for the Day – Proper 16

The ancient community of Caesarea-Philippi is a small nature preserve now.  But it is quite beautiful.  It is in northern Israel, right at the borders with Lebanon and Syria. (In fact, you can throw a stone into any of those three countries from that site.)

It is at the foot of Mt. Hermon, a 10,000-foot,snow-capped peak on which the only Israeli ski resort is located.  Most importantly, though, the headwaters of the Jordan River come from a spring deep within the mountain.  The cool, clear water begins it is flow there – miles down into the Sea of Galilee, then into the Jordan River basin, and finally, into the Dead Sea.

There was a preexisting pagan tradition in the area when Jesus visited there with his disciples.  The cave there – quite sizeable – contained a shrine to the Greek god, Pan, god of the wild and companion of the nymphs.  Of course, this was not a holy place to the Jews or Jesus and his disciples.

As Jesus was wont to do, he had retreated.  He was seeking solitude, away from the crowds that were everywhere he went.  He took with him his yeshiva – the small group of close followers who hung on his words.  They journeyed more than 30-miles on foot from the Sea of Galilee to a place dedicated to a mythical god.

So, it is remarkable that this site – a previous sacred pagan place – becomes ground zero of a very profound confession – Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  This was in response to Jesus’ simple question, “Who do you say that I am?”  The path forward was forever changed.

Think about your situation for a minute.  Where are you?  What are your surroundings?  What is on your mind?  What is distracting you?  What draws you away from God and your fellow human beings?

There are many answers, of course, but one is the answer that wherever you may be, you may make the confession – even if just to yourself – that Jesus is for you the Lord of Life.  And you can set your course in a new direction – perhaps internally at first, and externally later.

You do not have to be on holy ground to do so.  You can make any place holy.