Sanctuaries

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

I love basketball, having played the game for most of my teenage and young adult life. I know that it is not just a game. It is a sanctuary, where we can lose ourselves for a short little while. Lost in the joy of the game, whether we are playing or watching, we can enter a liminal space, where the gods, the spirits, and other human beings are playing, forgetting for a moment all the burdens that weigh us down. 

Teams have their own cultures. I bleed green. That is the hashtag for those of us who love the Celtics basketball team. Their mascot is an Irishman, and because I have lived and worked in Ireland, I love the country and the people. I love their hospitality and their laughter. On pilgrimage there, I loved the natural beauty of the Emerald Isle, the thin places where heaven and earth kiss. Like many countries, they also have a complicated history.

We can learn a lot about ourselves and human nature when we walk in another’s shoes, when we listen to someone else’s perspective, when we step out of our comfort zones. When we “blow into” another culture even for a short while, we often see our blindness. We can see our common goodness. Yes, some of us bleed green; and yet, we all bleed red.

I have many sanctuaries to which I retreat, where I can find peace, hope, and joy. Especially during these turbulent times, I look for inspiration and aspiration in the books that I read, the trails that I walk, and the meetings that I attend. I pay attention to what I can change and ask for the courage to speak and act appropriately. I wade deeper when I am in my sanctuary because it is safe. That is where I can play and pray freely. That is where I bleed rainbow.