"Build for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them."
(Exodus 25:8)
Stand down, Grammar police.
Grammatically, of course, the verse is incorrect. The Hebrew should have been "Build for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in it" but the rabbis explain the syntax error to teach us that G-d is not actually found in a building; G-d is found in the hearts and souls of the people.
G-d doesn't dwell in a sanctuary. We do.
Rather, G-d is asking the Israelites to build a sanctuary that will allow the Divine Presence to be felt within those who enter. Build for Me a sanctuary so I can dwell within them.
Broader message? When we build a holy place "for G-d", we need to do it in a way that every person can feel welcome in G-d's presence and discover a relationship with the L-rd.
Listen up, places of worship and fellow clergy, because I think not all of us are not processing that message.
Many religious communities are struggling to get people through their doors. Fewer people are attending services and the younger generation seems to be even less engaged. There are a lot of reasons for this failure to connect with the next generation but one of them may be the inability to rethink the model of what a "House of G-d" should be for this generation. We are often reluctant to re-imagine what places of worship should look like and who can enter for fear of being unfaithful to the tradition. We are reluctant to "mess" with G-d's home.
Yet, G-d's home is the infinite universe. We may build sanctuaries for G-d but as the Torah is teaching us, holy structures are for us. And when we create them in a way that allows all to feel welcome and engaged, they become places where G-d's Presence penetrates hearts.
A house of worship is, certainly, a location for meditation and inspiration. But it is also a place to find community, a shoulder to lean on, a person to talk to, a friend to meet. A place of worship is not a House for G-d but a Home for people, a place to learn, to share and be a part of something larger than the individual. A place where G-d, who is everywhere, has the chance to dwell within people.
The success of religion in America will not be the power of the sermon, the sound of the choir or the polish of the altar but the embrace of imagination and creativity, the ability and desire to make our sacred spaces open and inviting, where everyone who wants to can find a home, where those who seek G-d can begin the encounter.
When we build sanctuaries for G-d that allows all to feel welcome, we will have communities where more people will direct their hearts and minds to G-d and where G-d will dwell in them.
