An understanding of the sacred lies at the core of our hearts and minds, and often serves as our primary motivation for action. This inspiration captures us at our best moments—when we are at peace. This website seeks to gather your story about what you hold to be sacred, and the place where this sacredness manifests. In documenting your story you will join a community of individuals similarly inspired, and you will contribute to creating a collective understanding of what human beings hold to be sacred. In this way this website seeks to create inter-human harmony through enabling individuals to converse about what they find special about this world, this life, this humanity.
Critical in this project is a self-definition of “sacred place” by you. This website leaves the definition open to individual interpretation. Given the wide variety of human experience and faith, this broad category was chosen with the intent to engage individuals from all different backgrounds and beliefs. This website seeks well thought out, honest contributions; there is no specific format required. You can speak about anything from the inter-twining of the cosmos, to the peace brought to you through hiking in the hills, to the meditation you undertake through physical activity, to the sacredness of water.
My belief in the sacredness of the earth, and the critical need for immediate and effective action to protect and heal our planet inspired this website. I see wanton destruction of our natural environment, careless disregard for human life, and the epistemic violence of a society focused on material wealth as the primary medium to achieve happiness as the most dangerous threats to human society. I believe by sharing what we believe to be priceless, what we believe to be invaluable, what we believe cannot be bought, sold, traded or owned; we collectively define what is fundamentally necessary to our happiness and well-being. Through this redefinition we will grow a more sustainable and peaceful planet.
At this historical moment when our society seeks to rebuild itself, it is critical to re-envision a more peaceful nation and a more peaceful world. While many critiques can be raised about American society or our global society, by focusing on this incredibly positive aspect of ourselves and our societies we can make it stronger. By sharing our visions, we can create an understanding of common threads that run between all people.
In focusing on place as well as sacredness this website seeks to create a new map: a map that charts stories, histories, and spirituality—places of peace and power. Maps help us to find direction; this map seeks to build a new direction in engagement with each other and our world. It will be a map of places, spaces, stories, and beliefs that hold infinite value. By focusing on place, it connects the metaphysical with the physical. It locates the divine within our human reality.
This blog itself is a sacred space. It is a place for meditation on sacredness, on peace, and on the manifestation of these energies in our lives.
Since the beginning of human existence we have prayed to something greater than ourselves whether that be the natural world around us, the Great Spirit, the Lord Jesus, the Power of Love and Peace, Adonai, a single all-powerful God, Om, Bhramahan, Allah, our rivers, our mountains, Creation, Nirvana, etc. Even if one may not believe in a particular religion or philosophy, many find peace, joy, and power through meditation, action, or interaction with a specific space or place.
I ask us to think: What places bring us peace? Why does it bring us peace? What places hold significant spiritual value to us, and why? How do we value these places? How do we ensure the protection and continued existence of these places?
This is an invitation to begin this conversation. So please! Email your thoughts to peacegeography@gmail.com. Please include photographs and youtube videos if possible. See Yoga on Fenwick Rooftops for an example post.
Thank you for your time, energy and dedication.
Sincerely,
Sacred Geographies
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