by Dr. Jeff Mathis
When we find ourselves lost in life, wouldn’t it be nice to have some direction so we can be found?
In the Middle Ages, criminals fleeing for safety could take refuge in churches. If someone guilty of a crime knocked on a cathedral door and pleaded for asylum, a church official would welcome them and escort them to a priest.
Once inside, and after receiving food and drink, the criminal would confess their crime to the priest, surrender any weapons they were carrying, and then don a black robe to signify their penance. These criminals would live in a cordoned-off area within the cathedral for a month before being given a choice. They could choose to stand trial for their crimes, or they could decide to leave the country. If they opted to ‘quit the kingdom,’ they had nine days to relocate to another country. They would don a white robe and carry a wooden cross upon leaving.
The sanctuary that the church provided during this time conveyed this truth: If you’ve committed a crime, the church will offer you safety and refuge from those who may wish to execute justice without due process.
Along the roads and highways during this time, you could find crosses inscribed with the word, Sancturarium as a source of direction and hope to those who were in trouble.
The principle of sanctuary is not unique to the Middle Ages. In Ancient Israel, the Law established Cities of Refuge in the Promised Land so those who committed a crime—specifically manslaughter or killing someone without intent—could find safety until their trial.
Our churches should be places of refuge for those who are lost. As we are all sinners, we should not have to belabor the point that there are many ways we can become lost from ourselves, our loved ones, and God.
Therefore, if the Body of Christ represents the open arms of the father whose son had run away in Jesus’s parable, then we become the signposts along the path that direct the lost to a place of sanctuary. Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, several people would stand guard at cathedrals overnight for those who may knock on the door and beg for refuge and asylum.
Our lives serve as signposts to God’s grace. Like crosses on a road that lead the lost to help, followers of Jesus should always be pointing home.