“Until I went into the sanctuaries of the gods
and understood what was to become of them.”
--Psalm 73:17
Where are the sanctuaries of my gods? In this psalm, one of the themes the psalmist
sings of is the fate of false gods and those who follow them. And it isn’t
until he ventures into the sanctuaries of these “gods,” that he realizes what
becomes of them. It isn’t until we look
into the sanctuaries of our gods that we realize what will be come of them,
what will become of us.
What are the sanctuaries of my gods? The little sacred
places that I have made for my own personal gods: sex and pleasure, fame and honor,
praise and success. My “gods” are held high
in sanctuaries of loneliness, emptiness and desire; gilded sanctuaries of
longing and self-pity; but what will become of them? What will become of my gods?
In this Easter time, I must realize that they –even my
sanctuaries—will be shattered, broken in two, their sacred veils torn from top
to bottom, the very rock of their foundation will crumble and disappear like dust.
And there is nothing to be done about
it. From dust they came, and to dust they will return. There is nothing to be done
but go to the tomb (the real sanctuary of all such gods) and find it empty –and
be glad. Our personal gods are empty vessels. The tomb is where such emptiness belongs.
Put away your childish things, your personal gods, your brokenness,
your emptiness, and turn away from the tomb; the true sanctuary of all such gods. Turn away the tomb and see the true God
standing there waiting for you.
Be not afraid.
He has risen. He has
risen indeed.
