Feeding the hungry gods
I recently used these contrasting passages to illustrate a key difference between primal religions and Christianity for my class; they were quick to pick up the difference.
"You see, the spirits are not being fed properly and are being forgotten, but still life continues and the still make the fields fertile. So the spirits are forced to make raids as forces of nature. And if you see an AIDS epidemic or a big boat sinking, that is the spirits having to take what they need. The energy transfer. So when they are forgotten they have to come and take what they need or else they will die. The spirits feed us through the natural world all around us. We feed the spirits by offering them gifts, human artifacts, which the spirits are unable to create themselves. We need what the spirits give, and the spirits in turn want what we have. When the spirits are forgotten this reciprocal relationship goes out of balance and the spirits become malevolent forces rather than benevolent forces in human life."
- Shaman Martin Prechtel, Secrets of the Talking Jaguar
Almighty God, our heavenly Father
We most heartily thank you for feeding us
In these holy mysteries
With the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of thy Son,
Our Savior Jesus Christ;
And you assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us...
That we are heirs through hope of they everlasting Kingdom.
- Prayer after Communion, Anglican.
posted by MM at 5:54 AM
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