The Wild Reed: On Sacred Ground

Earlier today I spent time at a very special place: the rock platform at the south end of Port Macquarie's Town Beach.

I've written about this rock platform before (see here, here and here). It is for me a sacred place. By this I mean that whenever I'm at this particular place I always feel at one with the energizing and transforming Presence within and beyond all things.

This Presence goes by many names: Life Force, the Universe, Divine Love, Great Spirit, Holy One, Sacred Mystery, God. I don't believe what name we use ultimately matters. What is important is that we find the name and/or image that best attunes us to this Presence, and that we then immerse ourselves in it, allowing this Presence to awaken, energize, transform and guide us. My experience of this place, this little rock platform on the south-eastern Australian coast, never fails to open me to all these things.

The challenge, of course, is to stay open; to seek, recognize, and respond to God's presence no matter where I am. I suppose another way of saying this is that our calling as spiritual seekers is to both seek and embody the sacred on every ground; or, in other words, in every situation in which we find ourselves.

One more thing: I've mentioned before that I like to think that my wedding will one day take place upon the sacred ground of this rock platform, of this "somewhere-in-between" space that at times can be both sea and land; a place where it can feel as though one is walking on water!

Like I said, it's a very special place.