The Veil Grows Thin

The ancient Celts believed that at certain times and in certain places the veil that separates our realm from God's realm becomes thin. When this happens, we are able to catch glimpses of transcendence and the beauty of that realm. They marked these times with sacred days that were holy to them. They marked the places of power with stone cairns that alerted people to the sacredness of the place. They hallowed any place that reminded them of the intersection of the two realms such as the edge of a forest, where does the forest end and the outside begin, the beach, where does the ocean begin and the beach end, a crossroads, where does one end stop and the other begin. All of these places are pictures of the intersection.

This weekend, I witnessed another intersection of the two realms. My good friend and brother, D Willy, became a wedded man. The preacher remarked that one of the reasons we anticipate weddings even though we already know the surprise is because a wedding is a time when the veil between the realms becomes thin. A wedding helps us see two things that are from God's realm. First, it gives us a glimpse into the original order of things. For one day, a man and a woman come together to united as one flesh. I can't help but think that the Creator of Romance who has brought them together remembers the first Day that a man and a woman were brought together. This wedding day points back to that day. Second, it gives us a glimpse of the future that is to come. One day, the Lover of Humanity will return. On that day, he will be the Bridegroom who is eagerly waiting for his bride. He will have the same smile that I have seen on my friend's faces as his Bride makes her way to him. She will be radiant in her pure spotless gown. On that day, we, the Church, will be that bride. We will be guests at the greatest Wedding Feast ever seen. At the wedding of the Lamb all will be set right and all will finally be truly good. The old order of things will have passed, and the new order will begin. What a glorious day that will be. Every wedding we attend point us back to the first time a man and woman came together, and it points us forward to the Day when the Lamb shall have his Bride.

On Saturday, I caught a brief glimpse of the other realm. treasure the glimpses...