In James Cameron’s Avatar I get a strong flush of emotion during one part. The part depicted in the picture where they pray for the well being of the injured researcher as one tribe. The interconnectedness of their ecosystem is beautiful and I do not doubt in the slightest that there is some sort of interconnectedness that also has some sort of working on the Earth as well. As a matter of fact I do believe that I have had near “out of body” experiences as well as interconnected experiences. These experiences were moving on a molecular level, I will spare you the out of body experience for now but it may come up in another blog post later.
During my mission trip to Eastern Shore, Virginia with my parish youth group I felt something that I have never experienced before. A girl from my group had just explained the situation that her friend had been stuck in an abusive relationship for about a year and had recently just gotten out of it and exposed it to her friend. The relationship was savage, her boyfriend had been raping her and repeatedly telling her she was worthless to the world but that if she tried to break up with him he would kill her. After hearing this horrible experience not only was I moved in a way that I had before, compassionately. We then came together in prayer for her abused friend joining hands, like I had become accustomed to at my Catholic mass, saying the Our Father. Something else happened this time though; it was not the same as the times I had done it at church. At church I have always felt I was going through the motions simply repeating words that I had said countless times before. This time joining together with my youth group I felt connected. My hands were not clasping onto those around me, rather they had become a part of those other hands connecting the whole circle into one body. That was not where it stopped though; I felt that through my seat on the floor I connected with the land around me, the air that touched my skin. Suddenly I felt that I was part of everything rather than an individual in a large world.
When I watch this scene in Avatar I imagine that is how it feels. Also the little braid thing they can just plug into the animals and trees must become one just the same as my hands were one with those around me. When I watch this scene I get a very minor feeling of this. Not nearly the same scale as it was initially but it still swells within me creating warmth.
Wow that seems like quite the experience! I also am accustomed to joining hands during the Our Father at mass, but I have never had an experience like that.
ReplyDeleteYou're story inspires me so much. Let me say that Catholicism or Christianity is not the first to find comfort in the company of others. Historically, humans have always found the comfort of others to be reassuring and helpful.
ReplyDeleteSo many religion require the backing of many followers, many of which are in the pursuit of their own religious happiness. I'm not a Christian nor do I go to church but my family does practice a religion that has been within their heritage since my family left China in the 18th Century.
In our family gatherings, we not only pray to the individual and surround them with small and kind gestures (material gifts or immaterial gifts) but we also tie blessed bracelets around each hand and say a few prayers as we attached the bracelet. This practice lasts for five minutes to at least an entire day. Depending on how many guests you invite or how many people are present, the longer it will take. Similarly, it's comforting to be in the company of so many that love you.