Holy Things for Holy

In the Old Testament, certain interior spaces were holy because God dwelt in those spaces, consecrating them by His glory (Exodus 29). The objects that were placed in those spaces were consecrated, mostly by oil, to take their place in the presence of God. Things were holy when made fit to exist in holy spaces.

Now, there are no longer holy spaces. God dwells in the Spirit of glory in each believer, and in the interstices of the community of believers. Things are holy insofar as they are fitted to exist in the holy space of consecrated humans. In the Old Testament, human beings were consecrated by touching most holy food or the holy altar; holiness radiated out from things to persons. Now we consecrate things by touch and talk; holiness radiates from those indwelt by the Spirit out to the world.

This has moral import: We are temples, and thus can only bring holy things into God’s presence inside us. That has implications for what kinds of sights and sounds we permit to enter the holy space within.

It also has profound liturgical implications: A person is made fit to exist in the holy space of the church by the consecrating water of baptism. Bread is consecrated by thanksgiving so that it can enter the holy space of our bodies (1 Timothy 4).