The wedding of a friend as sacred place

Over the summer I encountered sacred place in Powhatan, Virginia. I was in Powhatan for the wedding of a dear friend, and was honored with the privilege of being a bridesmaid. On the day of the wedding there was, naturally, a bit of commotion; instructions being given, roles being explained, details being smoothed over, and lots of excitement and anticipation. The wedding was to take place outside, it was warm for sure but there was a cool and calming breeze that steadily swept over the hills of the farm. The guests soon arrived and it was time. I walked down the aisle to stand by my friend as she said her vows to her now husband. The bride gifted her bridesmaids with the shoes we were to wear and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they were flip flops. I somehow feel more grounded, more present when I’m barefoot and my feet are close to or touching the earth beneath them. During the exchanging of vows, I was suddenly struck by the sacredness and profundity of the time and the place in which I was. No longer distracted by pre-wedding chaos, nor by the sermon given by the pastor, nor by the singing of hymns, I suddenly realized the weightiness and holiness of what I was witnessing. This sudden awareness of sacred time and place being all around us, as though it were even in the air and moved by the steady breeze, moved something in me deeply and I was surprised by the joy that overtook me in that sacred moment. It felt like we were all swimming in the sacred in that moment, and upon our recession down the aisle and relocating to take photos I felt as one coming out of the ocean, like I was dripping with the sacred from head to toe, even heavy with it.

I’m so grateful for a class where we explore sacred time and place. I’m happy to finally have language to put to what I was thinking and feeling over the summer but was unable to communicate. I’m grateful for the new lens I feel I’ve been given through which I can view the world around me and my experiences in it. This lens seems to provide the world with so much more beauty, the colors seem more vibrant, and life is abundant.