The Formal Living Room. Just typing those words gives my inner ten-year-old boy the
heebie jeebies. That
beautifully, expensively, even ostentatiously furnished room of the home
reserved for visiting friends and relatives. It screamed of hot baths and starched shirts and neck ties
and minding your manners and boredom.....yuck!
Everyone had them growing up, right? Maybe there were plastic covers on all
the furniture or precious knick knacks and trinkets placed in precarious
locations, easily toppled over by an errantly tossed baseball. If you were really unfortunate it had white carpet
that attracted chocolate milk or cherry Kool-Aid like a magnet. It was like a museum to old people where
the joys of childhood, and quite possibly life itself, was sucked right out of
you.
Am I dating myself here? Thankfully the formal living room of my youth is no longer
in vogue in the States, giving way to open floor plans and livable space. But
here, oh no not here! The formal living room is thriving.
Let me walk you through a recent visit to illustrate
what I’m talking about. L. and I
walked over to visit some new friends during Ramadan. Visiting and well wishing plays a huge part in their holy
month plus we like to do it. L.
really likes to visit as it always means her getting candy and other
treats. This time was no
exception. We were greeted warmly and ushered into their living room, separated
from the rest of the home by an ornate curtain, where we remained throughout the visit. Well, not “we,” because our very nosey
three year-old walked into the kitchen, through their family room, into a
couple bedrooms and used at least two of their toilets as is her nornal practice (see L’s
Squatty story). We had tea, and coffee and snacks and visited for a couple hours, all within the confines of their living room.
In comparison, consider a visit with some longtime friends. We’ve been to their home many times and
though we do use the living room there’s no cultural sequestration
involved. D usually ends up in the
kitchen talking with the women about whatever it is women talk about, I may be
asked to come into another room to view something on the computer or help with
a project and the little kids are in and out of all the rooms, playing with their
children. The difference is we’ve
gone from friendly acquaintances to dearly loved, near-family. Our relationship has progressed and so
has access into their home.
One can make a bit of a comparison with the Tabernacle and
the Holy of Holies. Throughout the
Old Testament, the interior of the Tabernacle was off limits to all but the Levitical priests
and the Holy of Holies was off limits to everyone but the high priest who only entered once per year, when he went in to make atonement for the sins of the people
(see Heb.9:7). All that changed at the death of Jesus
on the cross. “…Jesus cried out again
with a loud voice, and yield up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the
top to the bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened and many bodies
of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. “ Matt.27:50-52. By His sacrifice, we were/are liberated
from the dreadful living room.
Through the atoning blood of Jesus, believers are no longer separated by
sin, or by a curtain, from the Father.
We can now into His presence as family. Hallelujah!
Amen!
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