Erin Reno- Landscapes of the Sacred #1
Identification of the Mask of the Holy
In Landscapes of the Sacred, the notion that a mask is often used to cover the face of the holy is brought up. This makes sense, as we learned earlier in the year that in the concept of the sublime, that is often how God hides his face. For example, Mt. Rainier, which is both awe inspiring and deadly, is a prime example of the sublime and therefore it is no surprise that it has been given the alias of “the Mountain that was God”. But what about sacred places that seem ordinary? For example, the book brings up a certain hill, revered by the Seneca people of what is now NY, that for them is recognized as the origin point of man, but for all purposes looks just like any hill. This has been hard for me to wrap my head around, as how is someone supposed to know that this place is sacred, especially when we consider the 4 axioms and how not everyone is able to experience a place as sacred, even though it is. Connected to this though and triggered by reference to in the book, I thought of Jesus Christ, who is considered the incarnation of God in flesh. You could consider him an example of the ordinary masking the holy, as from a socio-political standpoint, Jesus was not remarkable. The legal son of a carpenter and one himself, Christ was not of high economic class or status, not a politically recognized prince or esteemed warrior. And yet, it was this which the flesh of God took form. I think this speaks to the personalization and humbly human aspect of the sacred place, as it is personal to those who come across it and can not be “made up” simply because someone wants to.
In Landscapes of the Sacred, the notion that a mask is often used to cover the face of the holy is brought up. This makes sense, as we learned earlier in the year that in the concept of the sublime, that is often how God hides his face. For example, Mt. Rainier, which is both awe inspiring and deadly, is a prime example of the sublime and therefore it is no surprise that it has been given the alias of “the Mountain that was God”. But what about sacred places that seem ordinary? For example, the book brings up a certain hill, revered by the Seneca people of what is now NY, that for them is recognized as the origin point of man, but for all purposes looks just like any hill. This has been hard for me to wrap my head around, as how is someone supposed to know that this place is sacred, especially when we consider the 4 axioms and how not everyone is able to experience a place as sacred, even though it is. Connected to this though and triggered by reference to in the book, I thought of Jesus Christ, who is considered the incarnation of God in flesh. You could consider him an example of the ordinary masking the holy, as from a socio-political standpoint, Jesus was not remarkable. The legal son of a carpenter and one himself, Christ was not of high economic class or status, not a politically recognized prince or esteemed warrior. And yet, it was this which the flesh of God took form. I think this speaks to the personalization and humbly human aspect of the sacred place, as it is personal to those who come across it and can not be “made up” simply because someone wants to.
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