Taking the Time to Make a Difference

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He said he was leaning toward becoming a Buddhist. I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that comment, but I remembered what he said when I came across a small object among many objects displayed on a table top in a market in China. It was a small representation of Buddha, crudely carved and with many of its features worn away. I bought that object, but I was uncomfortable in doing so. I brought it back home with me, and gave it as a present to the one who said he was leaning toward becoming a Buddhist. I think what bothered me was not the object itself, or the personage it represented, but rather the troublesome notion that I could buy it and own it. I don’t know for sure the facts of its origin, but I suspect it was once kept – and kept for many years — by someone who found it to be an aid to his faith life. The little Buddha was crudely made, so I am sure it was inexpensive. But the features were worn away, so I am sure too that it was handled or touched somehow by someone whose appreciation for it added immeasurable value to it. I said “I bought that object” but I know I never owned it. It was something that was deeply connected with the faith life of another person. That’s why I was uncomfortable when I acquired it, that’s why I could never sell such a thing. I would feel the same about buying a well worn rosary at the estate sale of a stranger.

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Is it possible that there are things in this world that are made holy, not because of the stuff they are made of, but because of the way they are used? I know a man who has begun to study iconography. He explained to me that every line and every color used for an icon has a meaning. He said icons are “written” and not “painted.” A website of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas says that “Icon is the Greek word for image, and that “sacred icons tell stories from Scripture or depict an image of the Savior, Mary His Mother, or one of the saints.” Icons are considered more a form of prayer than a form of art. They are not created for pleasure or ornamentation, but intended to invite the viewer to communicate with the person or event depicted in the image.

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What are the sacred objects in your life? How do they connect you with your family or your faith?

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Recent news accounts have included stories of the desecration of the writings held to be sacred by Muslims. Battles continue over who may be allowed to visit places held to be holy by adherents of several faith traditions. Christians and non-Christians alike must dress modestly when visiting the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome. Popes and bishops have shown respect for the traditions of others, in mosques and temples. What it all boils down to, somehow, is the value of showing respect to another person of faith, even if that faith is not one’s own.

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Take the time to examine again the places and the things that connect us with the traditions of our Christian faith. There are significant differences, even among those of us who share this faith. Take the time to learn about the search for holiness among cultures and traditions different than our own. Consider the reality that many people of many faith traditions are inspired by the things of this world, both by the work of human hands and by the beauty of the world created for us by a loving God. Good stewards will take the time to respect and honor all the things that are of God, the gifts given to us to use but not to own.

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