God-Experience Space

India, from ancient days, has been famous for its ‘holy and sacred places or spaces’ where devout pilgrims undertook pilgrimages with the intention of having a ‘deep spiritual experience' of the Absolute (God). The dawn of this third millennium has ushered in a new era: a competitive era to create greater 'space' in every sphere of life. For space gives life. In the absence of which one faces numerous 'phobias' squeezing the life out of him. In this line, one cannot bypass the recent and famous Ayodhya Verdict of 30 September 2010. We live in an age of postmodernism and globalization. Notwithstanding, much efforts have been put to create (even through much violence) an appropriate ‘sacred space’ – God-Experience space - wherein every believer or worshipper will experience God ‘here and now’, not only in that worship-space but also in all other interacting activities of his daily life in a manner that is common and familiar to everybody. The space should have the characteristics of mysterium, tremendum et fascinans – a space that is mysterious, awesome yet fascinating because it is the God-experience that attracts a person to it.

Sacred Space
Every religion holds that it is God who created humans in time and space - in a concrete reality. And humans always saw time and space as God’s gifts. These categories have tickled the brains of philosophers and religious thinkers from time immemorial. Discussions on this topic are endless. Before venturing into the ‘God-experience space’ as such, we would like to deal briefly on the concept of space itself.

Concept of Space
Philosophically, the categories of time and space are seen as abstractions to understand one’s environment and the interrelated realities, having existence only in relation to the intuitive three-dimensional totality of everyday experience, the two coordinates within which all human events take place. They are interdependent. All human experiences are encompassed by these categories and it is next to impossible for us to conceive of ‘this-worldly’ or the ‘other-worldly’ except in these terms.

Architectural space
By ‘Sacred or Architectural space’, we refer to the ‘existential foothold’, the outer frame surrounding a celebration, which humans try to capture it in church/temple/masjid/gurudwara architecture. It refers to the art and architecture of religious celebrations, the space for worship and prayer which makes the gathering place of a group of worshippers. Concretely, it is the sacred permanent edifice where the community gathers in to communicate with God by means of signs and symbols, gestures, postures and persons; ‘a medium’ which gives form and emphasis to one’s relationship with one’s fellowmen, to the society and to God. Through the creation of this ‘sacred space’, human beings try in an imperfect way to give back to God his gratuitous gifts. And the inherent longing to communicate with Him through this medium originates religion. Although one of the wonderful manifestations of the inner strength, power and extent of worship is the fact that it is indifferent to conditions of space, yet it has produced, in every century, masterpieces of architecture and the other structural arts such as no other of humans’ ideas have been able to produce.

Some Principles and Guidelines for Architectural Space
Sacred space is the worship space - ‘the centre of the world’ - of anyone of goodwill. From a religious understanding of a ‘God-experience space’, some principles and guidelines are that it should be an appropriate space for the worshipping community, a space appropriate for religious worship and festivals and be symbolic and challenging. The centrality of any religion requires a space that is appropriate and open, facilitating and fitting, welcoming and warm, free and liberating, festive and uplifting to lend itself to experience the Absolute for that space is more precious, more valued, than the rest. In other words, it should be functional, bringing out more plainly the communitarian nature of worship and the celebration. This unity ought to be illumined rather than obscured by the architectural character. The interior-space should be warm and welcoming, a source of hospitality and attractive, uplifting and filling, dignified and sacred, leading the community or the gathering into genuine 'God-experience'. Care must be taken not to let the community’s field of vision be disturbed by bright windows or openings behind it or to let confusing superstructures or distracting sculptures all around. The rising sun which gives light, life and warmth, is the symbol of a resurgent God in every religion. Moreover, the space should reflect the splendour of the divine promises and challenge to those present to a faith - which questions and explores - based on hope which finds its expression in loving relationships.

Conclusion
Today a challenge in the digital world, a cause of great concern, is the creation and the use of the architectural space to build up true religiosity without any sort of politicization. For, in this third millennium there is a deep-seated hunger in every person for the ‘great fullness’ in their religions. The ‘God-hungry people’ are in search for a 'space' - a God-experience space – in and through which they will encounter a transcendent God who is not bound by caste, religion, colour or any other human barriers. The digitalized world has caused a dilemma in the psyche of today’s men and women and they are caught up between postmodernization and fidelity to the traditional values. The need of the hour is to create a link so as to build a ‘sacred space’ for everyone to feel one with the Absolute and find meaning in one’s daily life. This is the challenge of the third millennium!

This is coming from the desk of Fr Alu Hemrom, sdb well known as aluramus hems and lovingly called alu hems. I sincerely thank him for his contribution.