[This is the first of a two part article. Follow this link to read the second part.]
And God said, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
Holy ground? What holy ground? This was a harsh wilderness. Vultures circled above during the day and hyenas prowled at night. There were no church steeples rising into the sky — no prophet nor priests worshiping here. Moses was tending sheep among the rocks under the hot sun. Why take off his sandals in the rocky wilds?
While stepping over stones and weaving through scrubby plants, Moses had seen a burning bush — but that was not unusual. What intrigued Moses was that the bush was engulfed in flame but it was not consumed. He turned aside to see this “great sight.” As he approached the fire God called out from the bush. God told Moses that he was standing on “holy ground.”
This was the wilderness of Sinai, far from the Promised Land to the north. For Moses this was a land of exile. How could such rugged ground be holy? What makes ground holy?
Yes, holy means sinless, but it also means “set apart,” consecrated or special. Rocks and dirt and desert scrub cannot be thought of as sinless so God must have meant the second definition of holy. This piece of land was somehow sacred, special or different from the dirt and rocks a few yards away. Why?
The footprints of God, so to speak, had touched this ground in space and time. He had come down from heaven, condescending to speak to a weather-beaten, leather-skinned old shepherd who slept on the ground with his flock of sheep. God is not part of his creation. He is infinite spirit, almighty, pure love and goodness. He is holy and he purifies everything he deigns to touch. And he had touched the earth at this very place.
In ancient times removing sandals was a sign of respect. Sandals represented filth and contact with the world. In biblical times there were no sidewalks or blacktop. The usual walkways of biblical times were known for their mud, dust and animal droppings. Sandals made contact with the baser things of life and were respectfully removed in sacred places. Later, even the priests of Israel would officiate barefoot before God in his Holy Temple.
But I think sandals were also removed because God himself had touched this ground and it was therefore sacred, blessed, and holy. It is better for a man to be in direct contact with holy ground rather than have contaminated sandals separate him from personally touching the ground made sacred by a holy God.
Israel is known as the Holy Land. It is the small strip of land the size of New Jersey where God walked and where his footprints lead us back to the very history of salvation itself. I think I understand something of the powerful effect this land has on the human soul. My mom and dad loved the Bible and taught me to cherish it with all my heart. I learned its stories and believed its truth. Many years later I took my first trip to the Holy Land. I will never forget the moment I stepped off the plane. I was hungry and exhausted. I looked around and saw nothing but planes, hot tarmac and buildings. But I was in Israel! My feet were on holy ground. I wept unabashedly and fell to my face on the blacktop. I kissed the ground and thanked God for the blessing of being in this place. Little did I know that someday Israel would become like my second home. And even now, the sacred awe of this land never ceases to amaze and bless me. Tears still fill my eyes and in my home you will find displayed stones and mementos from every sacred site within its borders.
When I travel around the world I am an explorer eager to meet the people and discover their countries. But, it is different in Israel. In Israel I am not just an explorer; I am not a tourist. I am a pilgrim — one who journeys to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion. Each time I arrive with the wonder of a child expecting the blessing of God, anxious to walk on holy ground again.
Before converting to the Catholic Church, I didn’t understand the sacramental nature of things. God created the earth and everything on it and he said it was good. The Son of God used matter — physical things he had created — to bring about blessing and healing. He used dust and spit, oil and water, bread and wine. His touch made these items powerful for spiritual good — the healing of body and soul. He touched the land as well, and now as a Catholic I understand the sacramental sense of experiencing his land and being blessed by his presence, even two thousand years later.
(You can join a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Steve Ray. Please visit Steve’s website CatholicConvert.com or visit the Pilgrimage page of Corporate Travel Service’s website ctscentral.net for a brochure. Steve Ray will be a guest speaker on Catholic Exchange’s Alaska Cruise, August 4-11, 2006. Learn more about the cruise at CatholicExchangeCruise.com.)
