Kayla Sawyer - The First Axiom in Landscapes of the Sacred

 In Landscapes of the Sacred, I was especially drawn to the first axiom. I found my favorite quote relating to this axiom:

"This emphasis on the initiative being taken by the holy in revealing itself is seen in the first axiom already mentioned -- that sacred place ultimately is not chosen, it chooses. Its identification as sacred is never essentially one of an individual or even communal recognition. One never decides that 'this' will be a sacred place -- because of the beautiful view or the proximity to the village or the number of people who pass that way. 'In actual fact, the place is never 'chosen' by man,' says Eliade. 'It is merely discovered by him; in other words, the sacred place in some way or another reveals itself to him'10. Richard Rubenstein, speaking to architects involved with the design of religious buildings, once cautioned that 'the sacred cannot be constructed. It makes itself... Men cannot deliberately create sacred precincts.'11 Ultimately the holy exists entirely apart from any human control. It demands its own freedom to choose."

I really like this passage because it describes the purpose of the first axiom, and I feel as though the first is one of the most important. I did not choose my sacred place, rather it chose me. The Oregon Inlet Bridge has a very rich historical significance, and I feel as though that contributed to how sacred it is to me. It is a simple bridge, but it is made sacred through religion and history. My sacred place revealed itself to me when I needed it most. I really like the quote from Richard Rubenstein saying that the sacred cannot be constructed. I feel as though that is a great way to say that the divinity of a place must be built up throughout time and rather not through construction.

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