Daily Reflection

“Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’”

These days we might call them “thin places”: those locations where the sacred seems to seep into the common just a bit more than in other places. Some of those places are recognized by many; others are highly personal. But we have to exercise some caution. Jacob’s thin space where he experienced “the gate of heaven” did not become the location of the future temple (that was built at Jerusalem, not Bethel). It turned out that that awesome place was not where God dwelt but was just one place among many where God’s Spirit manifested herself. Christian faith is earthy, but it’s not linked to any particular place on earth. Its home, its centre, its heart, is not a place but a person—Jesus Christ.

You come to us not in Your special place, but in our place, where we are. The whole world is a “thin space,” for You have drawn close to us and do not leave us bereft, no matter where we are, no matter what we do. We seek You not in any special location but in the One who transcends location, who is all in all. Here, there, everywhere: in Christ You are with us. Thanks be to God! Amen

Christian Seasons Calendar

Daily Reflection

Wednesday, July 15, 2026