The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was the location where God and man would meet. God, not content to be separated from the creatures made in His image, orchestrated a way in which an unholy people could still connect with their holy maker. Direct contact was limited to only one person, once a year, in the Holy of Holies. God and man could meet only after an elaborate series of rituals designed to purify the priest, people, and place. However, the hour when Jesus died on the cross marked the moment that the curtain covering the entrance to the Holy of Holies was torn in two. The veil of containment that had restricted access to God for thousands of years fell to the ground and ironically became a welcome mat, and not only did we gain direct access to God but our bodies became temples where the Holy Spirit could dwell.

Mankind, flattered over becoming a temple still felt a bit put out because he wasn’t consulted during the construction phase. Man was happy that Jesus had provided a light source to illuminate his inner temple, but felt that the blazing light emanating from the newly opened Holy of Holies interfered with his ability to practice the dark arts. So man, not to be outdone by the God of the universe, decided to add his personal touch and began a temple reconstruction project. Not wanting to violate any eternal building codes he decided to keep a wailing wall in place so he could still whine, but claim that his new temple was actually a divine remodel and not a new heretical construction project. Man then picked up the torn curtain, stitched it back together, and rehung it. In order to justify his attempt at fatal Feng Shei he decorated the curtain with Easter eggs and a Christmas tree and proudly declared that he was twice as good as his Jewish ancestors because he now entered the Holy of Holies twice a year instead of just once. And then in order to pacify the Spirit the rest of the year he would slide his business card under the curtain every Sunday only to return to his reclining throne and watch NFL Gameday.

Jesus gave everything He had so we could once again walk with Him in the Garden. The cold terrifying darkness He experienced on the cross made it possible for us to warm our fragile souls with His Holy radiance. Astonishingly, instead of being comforted by the Light of the World, we have rehung the drapes and continue to fumble our way through the ever-growing cultural darkness.