1.31.2007

ALTARS

I noticed that throughout Genesis anytime someone had an encounter with God, or was approached or conversed with God, that they in reaction to that encounter built an altar. Abraham built an altar, Isaac built an altar, Jacob built an altar. Now obviously we aren't going around building altars and sacrificing wine or oils or animals after an encounter with God. However, does that mean there shouldn't be any visible sign at all that something happened? Shouldn't there be some sort of sign, a symbol, some mark as a result to us having been with The Infinite, The Almighty, The all knowing and loving, Our Creator? Maybe for us our altars are not of stone or wood but a physical or emotional altar. It's a noticeable difference in our character, a different attitude toward others or during less than great situations, or not carrying the emotional baggge of something because God took it from us. Whatever the difference is, whatever the mark on us may look like, there should be an altar built after our encounters with God that when built will make a noticeable difference in our lives to those around us.