What I'm pondering is --- while spirituality and faith live "within" the self, and one doesn't actually need all the trappings and such, many of us have faiths that are made more vibrant and meaningful with our tools and trappings and things. Elements of worship or practice that we would perhaps feel lost without.
And yet... how many people do you know who have "stocked up" on the things that would be needed if, gods forbid, society fell apart and you were essentially left on your own to make sense of things? Granted that's a worst-case sort of scenario, and we'll likely always have some manner of community with which to continue on even if "things fall apart".
But I read about people storing 2+ years of freeze-dried foods for the entire family; people buying weapons and ammunition; people investing in farms and seed and animals. In all of the reading and the talking, I've yet to come across mention of building up a supply cabinet of, oh, that very handy match-light charcoal for incense. Or learning about how to grow one's own magical herbs. Or how to make your own religious trappings like candles, icons, rosaries, robes, prayer books, and such.
No one can take what is in my head, and I can live my faith without the "stuff". But.. but. Wouldn't it be comforting to have a song book, or special oils, candles to light, the comforts of the religious rituals we embrace? And I would guess that all of us who are spiritual do have rituals, even if they aren't formalized or acknowledged as such.
I remember someone once blogging about what they needed to grow or raise in order to be able to eat a traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner in a post peak-oil world. I love the world I live in. But I don't believe we'll always live this way, just as no civilization ever continued on forever.
Change is in the air. I'm hoping we all are able to network, to learn, to be ready, to be the brave who carry traditions forward in the face of adversity if adverse times come to pass.
My challenge for myself is this:
- examine what my tangible goods religious needs are
- decide which elements of those needs are things I do for myself and which I out-source
- determine if it is reasonable to learn how to do some of the things I currently spend money for someone else to do
- stock up on supplies of those things I feel I can't/won't be able to make and can't/won't want to be without
I figure a year or two worth of 'stuff' (such as incense charcoal) would see me through any sudden societal change, and give me the time to learn how to make my own or adapt my spiritual practices to what I had available. If the other people in my faith community were to do likewise, we would have enough to meet our needs with plenty left to share with others.
2 comments:
Hello Maeve - thanks for stopping by! Good to meet you ---
This was quite a thought-provoking post. I haven't heard anybody else address this subject. For me, I have my Bible and that's all I need, I have God in my heart and a song of praise in my mouth. I need no trappings of rituals, or incense or any of that other stuff. No need to stockpile those things - only stockpile those things in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt and thieves cannot break in and steal.
Wonder what those other people are going to do? Good question! Good post!
Thanks for stopping by! I enjoy reading your blog :)
I know that the one thing I hope for is to always have a community with which to gather, to lift up others and be lifted up in turn, and to share in honor and worship of the gods I believe in.
The rest is simply "frosting on the cake". But many of us are accustomed to the frosting, and suddenly having plain cake could be very distressing.
I'm Wiccan, and while we can worship without all the trappings, it is more usual for people to have the candles and incense, cakes and "wine" (our group uses non-alcoholic beverages), and other emblems/tools of our faith. Are they necessary? Not at all. My relationship with the Divine doesn't hinge on whether or not I light a candle.
But I also recognize the additional level of vibrancy and joy that having and using these things brings to my life. Just as you find comfort and joy in your Bible and your songs. :)
There are some things I think are pretty universal that people would like to have, that would make worship more physically pleasant. Such as a hand-held fan for hot summer days when there's no air-conditioning. I have a lot of memories of folding up the paper programs on Sunday mornings and hoping some stray breeze would waft through the windows of the Church. :) I'm quite sure a person could make a lovely fan out of thin sticks and stiffened cloth or lace or some such. I see them for sale sometimes, and they'd probably be a LOT more effective than folded paper.
I'm going to hold out hope that we can find a way for AC even if the world falls apart though, LOL!
My biggest hope of all is that every good person trying to do good things will keep doing so; because the only way we'll all as humans weather the nasty storms life keeps throwing at us is if we can find a way to put more good into the world than bad.
Eep, I'm in danger of verging into deep philosophical ground here.
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