Sanctuary –
In days
past the church as an institution offered sanctuary for those fleeing the “long
arm of the law”. Recently the laws of
sanctuary have all but been abolished.
Yet there persists a notion common in human persons that there ought to
be a sacred space for refugees to go. The US has never adopted sanctuary laws,
but still many people believe that a church is such a space of safety.
The
usual definitions of sanctuary are:
1:a
consecrated place: such as
a :the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies
b (1) :the most sacred part of a religious building
(such as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed)
(2) :the room in which general worship services are held
(3) :a place (such as a church or a temple) for worship
2 a (1) :a place of refuge
and protection
(2) :a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and
hunting is illegal
b :the immunity from law attached to a sanctuary
Today
sanctuary is associated with the protection of immigrants from
deportation. In our nation’s past many
churches and synagogues have been involved in sanctuary movements such as the
underground movement for those fleeing slavery.
In Canada many Anglican, Lutheran, and United churches have specific
rules about sanctuary. Some churches
deny the authorities the power to arrest an individual until such time as one
their members, who is legally empowered to do so, is willing to pro bono defend the one to be
arrested. The modern sanctuary movement began
in Tucson, Arizona with a Presbyterian Church there.
While we
are willing to grant safe spaces to college students where they do not have to
hear anything which contradicts their view of the world, we seem unwilling to
accept the notion that a church is a sacred and safe space. The recent mass shootings in churches confirm
this attitude. Guns are an instrument of
power to those who feel empowered to assert their judgment on things over the
peace and tranquility of a safe space – sanctuary. The philosopher in me feels a strong moral
outrage over such heinous acts as to kill those involved in worship.
Where is
our moral compass today?
Is there
not some space in which none but God has power?
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