A peaceful moment on the water for Scotch rowers.

The spirituality of place

With our magnificent playing fields being nestled between Lake Claremont and a pristine coastline, and with Bold Park just up the road, it is not a stretch to suggest that our geography contributes significantly to who we are.

"We all have a sense of when a space feels right and good."

Where we are has at least some influence on how we are. Location impacts on us. Some places impact negatively, while others can be positive and affirming. When we begin to consider the impact of place on our humanity and relationships, the sacredness of geography becomes apparent.

Most sacred texts situate their narratives in a very specific place. The Hebrew Scriptures are no different. In fact, Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggeman (The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith, 1977, p. 3) claims that the Jewish faith in God cannot be understood apart from the gift of the land.

The Old Testament reminds us that every human story is located not just in time but also in a place. Over time, certain places have developed a particular significance for us as individuals and as communities.

In his wonderful book, A Sense of Place - a Christian Theology of the Land' (1989), retired Uniting Church minister Geoff Lilburne unpacks the link between land and identity in Indigenous and Christian spiritualities. He demonstrates how land and 'a sense of place' awakens in us a desire to preserve the ecological diversity and uniqueness of our world.

The ancient Celts believed that in some places, which they called 'thin places', the veil between the material and spiritual worlds is especially thin and permeable. Similarly, every human culture on the planet has revered certain designated buildings, pieces of ground, or environments as sacred.

While there may not necessarily be anything particularly unique or overtly spiritual about these places, they do have the capacity to open in us an awareness of the Divine. While thin places are often associated with natural settings such as mountains, rivers, forests, they can also be buildings such as cathedrals, temples, and other sacred sites. In a Celtic world infused with God's presence, there was a constant expectation to meet God. Nothing was too trivial to be sanctified by a prayer and blessing. This led to the sanctity of ordinary, everyday tasks, and to meeting Christ in every person.

Boarding parent Kate Stoney shared this moment of tranquilllity in Wellsted WA as part of the 2025 Boarding Photo competition winning 3rd prize in the Family category.

Creating our own thin places

When so much of our environment is purely functional, setting aside certain spaces as sacred can be transforming. When we are regularly able to spend time in these places, we develop an awareness of the Divine and we nurture our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

The key to developing thin places is to be aware of how spaces affect us and to use that knowledge to decide on a space that works for us. We all have a sense of when a space feels right and good. Once we have recognised the ingredients that make a place 'thin' for us, it becomes much easier to find or create such places where we can take refuge when life gets overwhelming.

In a busy and sometimes unpredictable world, having access to thin places can revive us and energise us. And as connection with the place grows, we may find that our contribution to a more compassionate world is as simple as cleaning up when we encounter mess, picking up when we come across litter, and helping in some small way to fix up the broken places around us.

These little gestures of care have the extraordinary ability to make the sacred more visible in even the most unlikely locations. As we seek to live lives of meaning, contribution, and connection, being aware of the power of place can help us to be mindful and intentional about how we relate to the places in which we live, work, and play.

Being aware of what makes some spaces unsafe may inspire us to do our bit to create places of safety, creativity, rest, and joy for all the family members, friends, neighbours, and strangers in our corner of the world.

Reverend Gary van Heerden
Chaplain