There are moments that make it all worth it. The saving of vacation days and money, the long ass flights, the scary bathrooms. Everything bad doesn't matter anymore because I saw this.
"This" has been many things. I've been very lucky.
The mosques in Iran, the Mezquita in Cordoba, the religious processionals in Guatemala, and the Rila Monastery. Just to name a few. Again, I'm very lucky.
Today I saw and heard something that was magical. A wedding being performed at St. Mary's church high above Addis Ababa. "Performed" being the operative word. Massive amounts of people dressed in white, chanting, singing, doing a call and response rhythm that gave me goosebumps. We were welcomed with smiles and encouragement. The sounds! The singing...it took my breath away.
I'm always so moved by religious...fervor isn't quite the appropriate word. Expression? Any open-armed, joyous, unreserved expression of true belief is so foreign to me. We don't really see that in America. Not the dancing in the streets, chanting, drum beating kind of thing. If we saw that, we'd probably run the other way...we'd certainly be uncomfortable with such a demonstration. In other parts of the world, that is expected and embraced and it is magical to witness. It finds that primal spot in my soul and fills that empty space with a desire to feel that way to. Maybe I'm too modern, too American, too skeptical. But it does touch that need for belief that I think most of us feel. You understand why people chanted against the night, in times of birth and death, why we need to feel a part of something larger...be it community, family, or God.
All I know is I got damn lucky once again.
"This" has been many things. I've been very lucky.
The mosques in Iran, the Mezquita in Cordoba, the religious processionals in Guatemala, and the Rila Monastery. Just to name a few. Again, I'm very lucky.
Today I saw and heard something that was magical. A wedding being performed at St. Mary's church high above Addis Ababa. "Performed" being the operative word. Massive amounts of people dressed in white, chanting, singing, doing a call and response rhythm that gave me goosebumps. We were welcomed with smiles and encouragement. The sounds! The singing...it took my breath away.
I'm always so moved by religious...fervor isn't quite the appropriate word. Expression? Any open-armed, joyous, unreserved expression of true belief is so foreign to me. We don't really see that in America. Not the dancing in the streets, chanting, drum beating kind of thing. If we saw that, we'd probably run the other way...we'd certainly be uncomfortable with such a demonstration. In other parts of the world, that is expected and embraced and it is magical to witness. It finds that primal spot in my soul and fills that empty space with a desire to feel that way to. Maybe I'm too modern, too American, too skeptical. But it does touch that need for belief that I think most of us feel. You understand why people chanted against the night, in times of birth and death, why we need to feel a part of something larger...be it community, family, or God.
All I know is I got damn lucky once again.
That's awesome you were able to see a wedding. I do think other countries have a lot of neat events when it comes to communal, celebratory, religious or cultural issues. There's something about coming together for a shared feeling of celebration (or lament) and engaging in it together. I think of the European cities that completely shut down when their football club is in the playoffs... something about everyone being all in it together is nice.
ReplyDeleteI've told you before....these are the types of things that I am so glad you are getting to see....thanks for doing such a great job of explaining why.
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