The title of Mircea Eliade’s best-known book, The Sacred and the Profane, is also the theme behind today’s first and third readings. As an expert on ancient myths, Eliade constantly reminded his readers and students of the powerful
The title of Mircea Eliade’s best-known book, The Sacred and the Profane, is also the theme behind today’s first and third readings. As an expert on ancient myths, Eliade constantly reminded his readers and students of the powerful human tendency to divide the universe into God’s world and our world. God takes care of the sacred; we’re in charge of the profane. On some unique occasions and in some special places we’re permitted to come into contact with the sacred. But most of the time we live in the midst of the profane - time and space in which God has little power or effect on our lives.
Our synoptic gospel writers blew such sacred/profane theology to smithereens with one short statement. They mention, at Jesus’ death, “the veil of the temple” was torn in two from top to bottom. Though today no Scripture scholar or historian believes this event actually happened, it’s easy to understand what the evangelists are trying to convey by creating such an image. The veil separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, a classic symbol of the sacred and the profane. On one side of the tapestry was the Ark of the Covenant, situated in a space where human beings were normally forbidden to enter; on the other side was the altar of incense, serviced twice a day by two different priests, nowhere near as sacred as the point beyond the veil.
If the veil is destroyed, so is our artificial division between the sacred and profane destroyed. Now everything, every place, and everyone is sacred. God’s presence is an essential part of our everyday “profane” lives.
Jesus isn’t the first person in the history of our salvation to surface and suffer for such a disturbing idea. In sixth century BCE Babylon, Deutero-Isaiah received a parallel insight from Yahweh. As with Jesus, it could have been one of the factors leading to his death.
This anonymous prophet’s central message is that Yahweh is abou