What does “sacred” really mean?

Sacred, secular are one and the same

The Rev. Emilee Whitehurst, associate pastor, First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway:

American culture tends to make a clear distinction between the sacred and the secular. We see the church versus the world, religion versus science, faith versus reason.

These contrasts affect how we think and behave. For example, we wear more conservative clothes for church on Sunday morning and leave our casual or revealing clothes for the afternoon or evening. We tend to think pastors and priests are closer to God than those who work in the business sector. At their recent national convention, Southern Baptists wrestled with pulling their children out of public schools because they feel that God is not present in that secular institution. Many people long to live thoroughly holy lives, and to some, the secular world can begin to feel extremely hostile.

In our modern world, the sacred side of the equation can seem to equal less and less. And if we are not careful, we begin to suspect that the secular world completely lacks any sacred value.

But what if the sacred and the secular were really one? What if we could see that God was present and active in our schools, even without structured school prayer? What if we could experience the holy in even the most secular of places, such as the halls of government, the labs of science or the bars on Massachusetts Street?

I was recently in Brazil, and I noticed that its culture does not make the same distinction. For example, a Baptist pastor took me to a street party in her Afro-Brazilian neighborhood. People of all ages were packed in tight. A neighborhood band was at one end of the block, and stereos were blaring at the other. Folks were dancing, drinking and having a blast. Honestly, I was somewhat confused about why the pastor was so insistent on dragging me into the middle of this. Later, a seminary student remarked to me, “We Afro-Brazilians celebrate to heal. Our parties are a form of worship.”

Where I saw a street party, she saw sacred celebration. Jesus treated the world and all its people as sacred, dedicated to a divine purpose. Perhaps his example can help us to understand what has always been true: The sacred and the secular are one.

Send e-mail to the Rev. Emilee Whitehurst at fpcassociate@sunflower.com.

What is sacred varies among individuals

Mehdi and Farhang Khosh, doctors of naturopathic medicine and co-owners of Natural Medical Care, 4824 Quail Crest Place. They are members of the Baha’i faith:

What is sacred to each person varies. Sacred can mean a ritual or a tradition, such as a worship service. Sacred can be an act or practice, such as getting married. Sacred can be an object, such as the sacred bread and wine, or a locket passed from generation to generation. Sacred can refer to religious dogma, such as the sacred scripture or the sacred teachings.

Sacred can be a place, such as a home, the mountains, the oceans, the prairies or mother earth. Sacred can be emotion, such as love, appreciation, compassion, kindness, giving, sharing, etc. Sacredness is an attribute that is given by someone to something. This is why the meaning of sacred varies from person to person.

The Baha’i writings teach that “the essence of all religions is the love of God, and it is the foundation of all the sacred teachings.” The core of all the religions is the passion for God or divine entity, which we honor and respect, through obeying the holy scriptures or other teachings taught by his messengers. The sacredness of the scriptures is a concept that cannot be modified and has a spiritual connection that should be treated with respect and reverence.

But there are many things that are considered to be sacred even though they have no connection to the spiritual world — for example, the United States Constitution. The concept of sacredness will have different meanings to each individual. Most important is the need to learn to understand and show respect for what others value as sacred. By doing so, we can heighten our own sense of what we hold sacred, as well as our acceptance of others.

Send e-mail to Mehdi and Farhang Khosh at mlkhosh@yahoo.com.