In the western world, we often defer respect to our guests when they enter our homes. If a guest starts to remove their shoes at the door, more often than not they may be greeted with, “Oh don’t bother; leave them on by all means.” But not so in Korea.

 

Our traditional Korean guesthouse featured an inner courtyard surrounded by sleeping rooms and a common kitchen. Before entering the rooms we were instructed to remove our shoes and walk in slippers or socks. The same instructions were given when we entered traditional style restaurants. It seems it is a sign of great disrespect to ignore this rule. In fact, we westerners are considered backward when allowing shoes that have trod through who-knows-what to also enter the intimate setting of one’s home.

 

Sacred ground is not to be violated. It is not to be trampled on carelessly. In years past, American churches used to be regarded as hallowed ground and treated with a measure of reverence and respect. In recent years, respect has been deferred to the guests in a ‘come as you are’ atmosphere to encourage people back into the churches. Korean temples and historic palaces still retain the atmosphere of historic respect and maintain the no shoes rule (though shoes are allowed in the courtyards).

 

I remember a Promise Keeper’s event where Jack Hayford invited 70,000 men to remove their shoes in the Twin’s stadium while he read the account of Moses’s encounter with God at the burning bush.

 

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

 

Jack asked us to quietly reflect on where our feet had been earlier that day – in the bathroom, on the street, in places where filth and decay lay hidden from our view. And where have our minds been? What unclean thoughts have we entertained? With what impure and unkind regard have we considered those around us? All these things cling to us and keep us from entering a pure setting without infecting it. We were also asked on what basis do we come before God? On the basis of our good deeds or special accomplishments? On the basis of our gifts or talents? I greatly appreciate the invitation to come to God “just as I am,” but sometimes need to be reminded that this is not a casual “buddy time” encounter. Yes, Jesus is my friend, but he is also my Lord.

 

And so we were invited to symbolically remove our shoes, and not just our shoes but also to remove the attitude of self-righteousness and pride that so often cling to us, to bow down and approach the holy ground of God solely on the basis of Who He Is and on What He Has Done.

 

Take time to stand on holy ground today. If God gets your attention, He will change the way you walk before Him… with or without shoes.