I have several friends who identify as pagan. That is a frightening word to so many people, but it simply means of the earth, or farm, or out in the country. Native American spirituality is pagan; Shintoism is pagan; and Hinduism is pagan. Does that mean these religious traditions are evil? Most certainly not because if Christians and Jews are honest, their own faith traditions derived from pagan practices.
Let’s see, Easter (Oestra), Christmas (Yuletide); All Saints Day (Samhain). The list continues on…..and it should because these old holidays are based on the Earth and people’s relationship to the Earth. As Christianity spread, instead of disrespecting these older traditions, those early Christians simply chose to explain those old traditions through new “eyes”, the life and presence of Jesus, the Christ.
My family heritage is the clan of Fitzgibbon, the lineage that leads back to Limmerick in Ireland. As I read about Celtic Christianity and traditions, it is clear that these traditions are interwoven with the “old ways”. And why shouldn’t they be? All of creation is the presence of God, is it not? “Consider the birds ……the flowers….” Jesus himself used many examples that call us back to our relationship to all of creation. So my pagan friends are just as valued and meaningful to God as the Pope, the pastor, or us. The difference is that in Christ we have discovered that we can have a personal relationship with the One God.
These days, there are so many who would just continue to take from Mother Earth, disrespect her, tear her to pieces and think nothing of it. Sadly, a whole bunch of these folks are using Christian to describe themselves. How sad it is to realize that our pagan brothers and sisters are the ones who know better. How foolish have we white Christians been in American for not listening to our Native American brothers and sisters.
We are taught that we are taken from the earth and to the earth we will return (ashes to ashes, dust to dust) and yet we think we are better than that, more intelligent, more refined. Jesus was not refined, he was a country boy from a region most people scoffed at and though of as rural and backward. Hmm, I think we just came full circle: pagan=country; Jesus=country. Many of His miracles arose simply because he knew that he was part of, not outside of, all the Earth and in Mother Earth there has always been healing power.
So, am I trying to turn you, dear reader, into a pagan? No, that is not the point. The point is this, if we truly want to be one with the Living God, then we must honor all of Creation. We must embrace and care for Mother Earth, her lands, her animals and, oh yeah, EVERY living thing. Yes, every living soul on this earth deserves our respect and love. That is the narrow path we are called to, that is what it means to love our enemies. That is loving our neighbor.
So, go sit on the porch, or in the woods, or at the park and look at the face of the living God. Look at the people you pass in the mall, the grocery store, or pass in traffic because you are looking at the face of the living Christ. Yes, God’s kingdom has come.
TMM