Sanctuary
The Hunchback of Notre Dame series meets Holy Week
Sanctuary. What comes to mind when you hear the word? Depending on your background it could mean very different things, but I think we can all recognize what the word is supposed to mean.
The Oxford Dictionary defines it as a “place of safety or protection, especially for people who are in danger of being attacked or captured,” and as “a holy building, or the part of it that is considered most holy.” A place of safety. A place of solace. A most holy place.
I pray that the word sanctuary evokes those feelings for you, but I know that we live in a broken world and that sometimes evil can seep into the places we thought were our safe-havens. If that is you, I want you to know first that I am so, so sorry. I want you to know deep in your being that God is brokenhearted with you. When sinful humans desecrate the holiness of sanctuary, God gets downright angry.
Scripture is full of examples of God moving to keep His dwelling place holy. Where do we encounter the first sanctuary in the Bible? It is at the very beginning- the Garden of Eden. It is the place that YHWH Elohim dwells with his creation. It is a place of safety and holiness where God walks and communes with Adam and Eve. This first sanctuary is soon infected with evil, as the enemy of God convinces Adam and Eve to question His words. Sin enters the world, and with it comes more humans bringing more evil into more sacred spaces.
When YHWH gives Moses the instructions for the Tabernacle, we see a physical sanctuary being constructed to be the dwelling place of God among His people. The Old Testament has numerous stories of God’s people once again questioning His words, becoming idolatrous, and desecrating the Tabernacle and future Temple. YHWH is long-suffering toward His people, yet after endless warnings to them through prophets, He must heed the terms of their established covenant. There were blessings for obedience, and curses for continous patterns of idolatry. He exiles them again. Even through their exile He promises to bring them back and make a New Covenant that will never be broken in the coming Messiah. He is always moving toward us, seeking to sanctuary with us.
It is Holy Week, and yesterday was the day we remember as the one when Jesus entered the Temple and found it being used for evil purposes. All four gospel accounts share the account, placing great significance on it. (You can read these passages in Matt. 21, Mk. 11, Lk. 19, John 2) God made man took bodily action to keep His dwelling place holy. It is of utmost importance to Him.
In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, sanctuary is an important theme. The setting for much of the musical is the sanctuary, and the story explores what that is meant to be and what evil tries to turn it into. In fact, the original title of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece was Notre Dame de Paris, indicating its setting in Notre Dame is the story. Archbishop Frollo embodies the evil seeping into this sanctuary, yet the hope of true sanctuary that will “someday” be reality continually shines through the darkness.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:5)
The Archdeacon has taken charge of his brother’s son who is deformed. Frollo dearly loved his brother, but felt deep guilt for not being able to “save” Jehan from his “life of sin.” He is disgusted when he looks at “the thing” yet also wonders if this could be a sort of personal redemption. His theology of salvation is all mixed up as evidenced in his chilling words:
“A monster. It is God’s judgement on you. The wicked shall not go unpunished.”
“See this loathsome creature from whom lesser men would flee…I will keep and care for him and teach him at my knee.. to think like…me.”
Whenever we ignore the humanity in others, the truth that we are all made in the image of God, evil starts to seep in. Dehumanizing those different than us is a dangerous game that holds our own selves up as idols against our Creator’s steadfast love toward every person He formed for His pupose. Quasimodo was physically an outcast and less than human in Frollo’s eyes.
The gypsies that had flooded into France during this time were also dehumanized by Archdeacon Frollo. He pronounces them all to be unsavory elements, criminals, and foreigners who had infected the city. Lumping people groups together and assigning moral qualities to masses never represents the heart of God. Kyrie Eleison. Lord, have mercy on us.
Both Quasimodo and the gypsies are in need of true sanctuary. Frollo himself is in need of experiencing, understanding, and modeling sanctuary. He commands Quasi to stay inside their sanctuary because the outside is dangerous, wicked, and cruel. The tragedy is that Frollo’s twisted faith tries to turn the sanctuary into a place of oppression and abuse.
You are deformed, and you are ugly. And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity. You do not comprehend. Out there they’ll revile you as a monster. Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer. Why invite their curses and their consternation? Stay in here, be faithful to me, grateful to me. Do as I say; obey and stay…in…here.
Precious Quasimodo, with the hope of a child, knows that there is more to love and sanctuary than has been his experience.
The overarching narrative of Scripture takes us from that first sanctuary in Genesis to the vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. The description of the city of God uses Garden of Eden and Temple imagery. It will be the permanent dwelling place of God with man. The enduring place of comfort, protection, and the presence of God.
It is true sanctuary.
My heart also longs for sanctuary, doesn’t yours?
It may look dark when your eyes are downcast to the floor.
But look up. Light is piercing the darkness.
God is always moving to bring us toward sanctuary.