I love sanctuaries.
Not only churches, but places that are open, that welcome you, that care for you, that protect and defend your liberty.
I went to such a place today. It’s called the Rothk Chapel in Houston.
It’s not a big place, but a mighty place. A divine place. A beautiful space, but a humble one.
Here is how they describe it:
“The Rothko Chapel is a sacred space, a forum for world leaders, a place for solitude and gathering. It is an epicenter for civil rights, a quiet disruption, a stillness that moves. The beauty of the chapel is that your experience alone defines it, and each visit builds on the one that came before it. Let your journey of discovery start here, leading to a lifetime of growth, contemplation, and action. You are always welcome.”
I can read those words over and over. They suit. The Chapel and its work is quiet, but powerful.
The Chapel has hosted well-known folks like Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Jimmy Carter. Outside the center is a sculpture dedicated to the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.
As I sat there I thought and prayed and breathed in peace and breathed out tension. It’s an important thing to do these days.
Find your sanctuaries. It doesn’t have to be a chapel like this one, a church, or a building at all. It may be sitting in a field or watching a sunset or gazing at light on water. These days there is enough to make you feel vulnerable and scared and as if you were the dough left after the cookies were cut.
You are on this earth and you are always welcome.
Invest in those things you love. I’m investing in sanctuaries.
“Let my body dwell in poverty, and my hands be as the hands of the toiler; but let my soul be as a temple of remembrance where the treasures of knowledge enter and the inner sanctuary is hope.” – George Eliot
In the Box, Out of the Box 