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All One People
Standing
in their Circle, a group of people reverently turn to face and address the four
directions. They call to their Great
Mother and Great Father, giving thanks for their many gifts. The Circle is blessed with sweet smoke from
sacred herbs and becomes a place where dance and song flow forth. It becomes a place where words of power are
spoken.
Where
is this great Circle? Who are these
special people? (Does it really
matter?) The scene described above could
take place in many cultures. It could
have occurred in stone age times, or with the tribes of North
America, or even today in our own living room.
Perhaps
the similarities we find are because we are all One people. Like a forest with many different trees, we
all sprang from the same soil. We all
took root and grew on the same green Earth, sought light from the same
Sun. While the shape or size or color of
our "leaves and bark" may differ, we are all made of basically the
same materials. And within our cultures
are many great things in common.
A
Native American woman once taught me that there is no single "Indian
culture" per se. They are a widely
diverse collection of many tribes, nations and peoples. This often complicates a wide range of
political and social issues facing Native Americans. She explained that while many things will
vary from Indian nation to nation, one common thread holds fast. From Canada
to South America, most Native Americans share
the belief in an Earth Mother and Sky Father.
And with this common thread comes a reverence for nature and the desire
to live in harmony with it.
While
it is obvious that the Earth Mother and Sky Father are similar to the Pagan
belief of a Goddess and God, perhaps we have even more similarities with the
Native Americans. Both Pagans and Native
Americans were persecuted, becoming scarce over time. Both are now reviving, becoming more and more
a part of the 1990's. Pagans too are a
diverse people, with many different Traditions.
Perhaps if we look for the common threads throughout our own diverse
community, we may just be surprised at what we find! Perhaps our common threads can help hold us
together.
These
common threads stretch farther than just Native Americans or Pagans. They weave in and out of a wide variety of
people we meet every day. People who
live and work and play and learn with each of us. When we become frustrated with our
differences, perhaps we can search for and focus on that which we all
share. While the specifics of our
religions may differ, people who hold their faith very dear and make it a
central part of their lives have much in common - whether devout Christian,
Jew, Pagan or whatever.
Another
common thread is that many faiths are divided into a variety of diverse
sects. Since our history does not
include a time where all people ever agreed on all things, perhaps we can see
religion as a mosaic. (And which part of
any mosaic is not part of the whole?) Or
maybe religion is a gem with many facets.
(Which facet does not help shape the entire stone?) Or maybe it is a warm bowl of soup, helping
to thaw the many bleak, cold parts of our lives. (Which ingredient in any soup does not blend
into its overall flavor? Which noodle is
not linked together by the same hearty broth?)
So
as we stand in our Circle, sing our songs, dance our dances, we should remember
that our Circle is one of many sacred spaces.
Our dance is but a single step in a larger rhythm. Our words of power form a language spoken by
many in a great variety of ways. We are
all one people.
Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 255
Miami Beach, FL 33141
AnthLink@aol.com
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