That which is Sacred! Wouldn’t it be great if determining the Sacred were a simple process – an homogenized process? Wouldn’t it be great if the Sacred carried a common definition? That way, there would never be any questions about what and what not to touch, how and how not to act, what and what not to say! Life would be simpler!
As good as that might be, Reality tells us differently. That which is Sacred varies from country to country, culture to culture, religion to religion and person to person. That which is Sacred, that which is private and personal demands respect. The trick lies in knowing. How can we respect the Sacred if we are unaware of what it is?
The answer may be clearer than we believe.
The Lakota, in their Code of Ethics, outline how to know when they say, “Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others – especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.”
Let’s take a look:
- Respect the privacy of others – This seems simple enough, don’t you think? Not so! We violate the privacy of others more often than we think. We ignore the inherent privacy of texts, emails, snail mails, phone calls, Face Book offerings and other social media posts. We ignore requests to “let things be.” We refuse to listen to the declarations of others.
- (Respect the) personal space (of others) – We get too close. We stay too long. We touch without permission. We hug when we should back off. We yell when we should listen. We squeeze when we should free. We push when we should relax. You get the picture? There are many ways to disrespect the personal space of others.
- Do not touch the personal property of others – Plain and simple. You keep your hands off the personal property of others. Unless you are given permission to touch, leave it alone. Unless you are invited to examine, use or take the personal property of others, leave it alone. Ask permission to touch, examine or use the personal property of others. Period!
- Especially the Sacred and Religious objects – Generally, the Sacred and Religious refer to those thoughts, beliefs, actions and sometimes objects that connect people to the Divine through some sort of worship. What if we expand the definition of Sacred and Religious to include thoughts, beliefs, actions and objects that help individuals create meaning in life? What if the Sacred and Religious are connected to Personal Spirituality that has nothing to do with organized religion? What if the Sacred and Religious are the things that allow us to pursue purpose? How Sacred are those things? I’m thinking pretty Sacred!
- This is Forbidden – Done and done! Can this be any clearer? I think not . . . so I choose to let this final statement stand alone.
That which is Sacred demands Respect. We determine what is Sacred to us! We owe Respect to that which others Deem Sacred. We do not have to agree but we must Respect! If we were to do this, I believe the world would be a better place.
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
