god is now here now there

“have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8)

One of the most important lessons we can learn from the tabernacle is that it is said to have contained the presence of God. It was something made by people to hold God. It was completely portable, adjustable and convenient. No matter where the people were, as long as they had this container… the ark within the tabernacle… then they had God.

I claim that it is important to realize that even though we are not transitioning through the desert physically, we are transitioning in our minds. Our concepts of god are constantly changing, adjusting to the environment and circumstances we find ourselves in.

So we are now separate tabernacles traveling through our various spiritual deserts. And our minds are individual little arks containing our differing ideas of god… whatever that is or isn’t.

I think it is very important to know this so that we can actually grow and, hopefully, be transformed. Otherwise, we will end up building a permanent temple that will crystallize our thoughts and beliefs and encrust us in a religious fundamentalism from which there is no escape.