“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
Scotland is a country beautiful to behold and rich in history. In the Lowlands along the River Pow, the small town of New Abbey plays host to a once-magnificent monastery called Sweetheart Abbey. Built out of local red sandstone, Sweetheart Abbey is a monument wrapped in a love story.
Born in 1210, Lady Dervorguilla married John Balliel when she was 13. After Sir John passed away in 1269, Lady Dervorguilla commissioned the building of an abbey in his honor and to the glory of God. Completed in 1275, Sweetheart Abbey was home to Cistercian monks until 1610.
Visiting Sweetheart Abbey recently, I was overwhelmed by Lady Dervorguilla’s great love for her husband. The abbey is indeed a beautiful testament to love with its Gothic arches and traceried windows. Over time and through wars and neglect, glass no longer graces the ornate windows nor does a wooden roof provide shelter from the frequent rains. Despite its decay, Sweetheart Abbey remains a testimonial to Lady Dervorguilla’s devotion to her Sir John and to her faith in God.
What is most interesting to me about Lady Dervorguilla is that when her husband died, she had his heart embalmed and encased in an ivory and silver casket. Everywhere she went in life, she carried this small chest with her. In death, she was buried in Sweetheart Abbey, clutching the box containing her husband’s heart.
Pondering this oddity and not wanting to judge Lady Dervorguilla in her grief, I presume she found comfort in having the tiny casket near her as she kept alive the memory of her husband. I wonder though, if always having the tiny box in her line of sight was distracting. Did she so focus on this ornate box containing death that she lost sight of life? Did her undying love for her husband get in the way of her love for God? The first commandment of ten in Exodus 20:3 tells us we are to have no other gods or idols or anything we worship except for God Himself. We were created to worship the one true God. I like how the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which has its roots in Scottish history, answers the question of what is the chief end of man. “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Building a church in honor of her husband was glorifying to God, but I wonder if her husband, or even the box containing his embalmed heart, served as an idol to her. Did she worship God or did she worship the box?
What box do we hold onto tightly? Is it something material like our possessions? Is it relational like a spouse or child? Is it achievement or success? Power or money? Comfort or convenience? While on the outside we might be constructing buildings of our own sort to the glory of God but in private, what do we death grip so tightly that we can’t fully worship God? What distracts us from the abundant life Jesus promised to those who believe?
I admire Lady Dervorguilla’s love for her husband, her desire to see him honored, and her tenacity in holding onto his memory. In learning her story, I can’t help but wonder at the lesson in letting go of what distracts so we can indeed glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Lord, may we put aside idols, even those based on the love of others, so that we can focus on You. Instead of tightly holding onto the “box” that distracts us, may we firmly clasp our hands in Yours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Sweetheart Abbey in New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scotland is a country beautiful to behold and rich in history. In the Lowlands along the River Pow, the small town of New Abbey plays host to a once-magnificent monastery called Sweetheart Abbey. Built out of local red sandstone, Sweetheart Abbey is a monument wrapped in a love story.
Born in 1210, Lady Dervorguilla married John Balliel when she was 13. After Sir John passed away in 1269, Lady Dervorguilla commissioned the building of an abbey in his honor and to the glory of God. Completed in 1275, Sweetheart Abbey was home to Cistercian monks until 1610.
Visiting Sweetheart Abbey recently, I was overwhelmed by Lady Dervorguilla’s great love for her husband. The abbey is indeed a beautiful testament to love with its Gothic arches and traceried windows. Over time and through wars and neglect, glass no longer graces the ornate windows nor does a wooden roof provide shelter from the frequent rains. Despite its decay, Sweetheart Abbey remains a testimonial to Lady Dervorguilla’s devotion to her Sir John and to her faith in God.
What is most interesting to me about Lady Dervorguilla is that when her husband died, she had his heart embalmed and encased in an ivory and silver casket. Everywhere she went in life, she carried this small chest with her. In death, she was buried in Sweetheart Abbey, clutching the box containing her husband’s heart.
Pondering this oddity and not wanting to judge Lady Dervorguilla in her grief, I presume she found comfort in having the tiny casket near her as she kept alive the memory of her husband. I wonder though, if always having the tiny box in her line of sight was distracting. Did she so focus on this ornate box containing death that she lost sight of life? Did her undying love for her husband get in the way of her love for God? The first commandment of ten in Exodus 20:3 tells us we are to have no other gods or idols or anything we worship except for God Himself. We were created to worship the one true God. I like how the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which has its roots in Scottish history, answers the question of what is the chief end of man. “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Building a church in honor of her husband was glorifying to God, but I wonder if her husband, or even the box containing his embalmed heart, served as an idol to her. Did she worship God or did she worship the box?
What box do we hold onto tightly? Is it something material like our possessions? Is it relational like a spouse or child? Is it achievement or success? Power or money? Comfort or convenience? While on the outside we might be constructing buildings of our own sort to the glory of God but in private, what do we death grip so tightly that we can’t fully worship God? What distracts us from the abundant life Jesus promised to those who believe?
I admire Lady Dervorguilla’s love for her husband, her desire to see him honored, and her tenacity in holding onto his memory. In learning her story, I can’t help but wonder at the lesson in letting go of what distracts so we can indeed glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Lord, may we put aside idols, even those based on the love of others, so that we can focus on You. Instead of tightly holding onto the “box” that distracts us, may we firmly clasp our hands in Yours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2017 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Sweetheart Abbey in New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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