Behold, the Lamb of God!

I have to admit, I am extremely troubled after visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This is the traditional location of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Right now, the church is under the control of six different Christian communions: Armenian Orthodox, Egyptian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Syrian Orthodox. The tensions between these groups is so high the that actual keys to the church are in the possession of a Muslim family that unlocks and locks the church every day. This picture shows the Greek Orthodox (left) and Roman Catholic (right) expressions of devotion to the place where Jesus died - you can even stick your hand in the hole where Jesus' cross sat in the ground:

There is a line on the floor that divides the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic sides. Of course, the other communions are represented in other parts of the church.

Why is this so bothersome to me? When I think about sin, I am motivated by Paul Tillich's suggestion to think of "estrangement" as the primary expression of sin in modern times. In other words, our state of sin derives from our estrangement (separation) from God, and plays out in our estrangement from our neighbors. Here, on this very holy and sacred site, is the place where we are most able to proclaim, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin (estrangement) of the world!" Commemorating the most important act of divine reconciliation in the history of creation, stands a church that is not so much a church as it is a temple: Behold, on the very site where the Lamb of God reconciled God and sinners, stands the Temple of Estrangement!