Most world religions, from the Big 3 to the tribal belief systems, claim certain places, whether cities or buildings, as “God’s Property.” The Middle East in particular is home to several “sacred cities,” most notably Jerusalem and Mecca. It is said that God promised Jerusalem to the Jewish people; it is also said that He promised Jerusalem to the Muslims. Who knows, 100 years from now, the World Trade Center site could be a sacred Christian land? How can this be? How can two groups claim God gave the land to them? Is one right? Both right? Both WRONG?
Many wars have been fought and many millions of people have died protecting or conquering land they believe was Heavenly promised to them, exclusively. Osama bin Laden claims the “infidel” invaded God’s Muslim land in Saudi Arabia. A radical Zionist killed former Israeli PM Yitzak Rabin for seeking to divide Jerusalem among all of its religious claimants. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with honoring places where major events occurred, or even maintaining certain areas for spiritual development. But designating entire swaths of earth as “ours because God said so” turns the spiritual emphasis from a inner one to an outer (and political) one. Why would God create the earth and then limit the benefit of His presence to certain, small places? If God’s spirit lives within every human being, as most claim to believe, then that means His spirt travels with us all the time; it goes wherever we go; it guides us whether we are at work or on vacation in Tokyo. The failure to release ourselves from controlling concepts like land disposition prevents us from truly experiencing the liberation that comes from spirituality. The kingdom of God is bigger than a piece of land.
Filed under: Religion
