PART 6
Now our final lap. Adam and I have been walking about an hour since we took the turnoff. We can see the lights of the homes in the village of Chimayo just below us. From here on out the rest of the walk seems to fall away. The details of it not as clear as all those leading up to these last moments. It is because we are tired but also excited by the fact we have reached our destination. It is just before midnight New Mexico time.
Through the darkness we see the outline of the Santuario ahead a few yards. It has a few lights on but its presence is made known to us more because of an antumbral effect. Its dark mass is outlined in a halo from the lights of the plaza on its north side.
We begin walking a steeper way down as we enter the little road that takes us into the parking lot on the south side of the church. There are many cars there. But the lot is nowhere near as full as it will be by Good Friday dawn which will be here in about six hours. We hear dogs barking somewhere. The
marvelous singing sound of the creek that runs north to south along the
east side of the church property can be heard. Besides its gurgling it
makes you can actually smell
the water. An unseen coolness creeps up to welcome and surround us. My arthritic limbs balk at this intrusion. I have still not worn my coat. But now I will put it on.
There is the smell of plants and growing vegetation around us. Spring is coming to this place. In the dark Adam and walk along towards our car. We will leave some of our burdens in it. Our water bottles, fanny pack. I'll keep the cane. And now as we head towards the church we see the outline of two
large television trucks ahead of us. The crews are working slow but
sure, walking and carrying lengths of black cable and extra light
sources. The news people want to be ready for the dawn. Ready to
interview members of the steady stream of pilgrims as they enter the
gateway of the little garden at the front of the Santuario. They do this
every year.
Adam and I high five in the darkness as our footsteps crunch on the
gravel of the parking lot. He says something and then we hug. We made
it! With each step up the walk that borders the east side of the church
it is getting a little brighter. More lights.
The concrete walkway is delineated by a chain link fence. It holds
several crude, wooden, crosses that people have made from the small
pieces of cottonwood branches they find on the grounds. You can take two
sticks and wedge them into a cruciform shape in the chain link. Simple
enough. But when there are hundreds of crosses in the net of the fence
the effect is very dramatic. I think I know what these crosses are. They
are prayers.
Now we smell food cooking. There are a few pilgrims gathered around a
crude little food stand to our left. It is selling some kind of homemade
spicy food served in large styrofoam cups. I bet it is spiced with good
Chimayo chile. The stand sells hot coffee and soda pop too. Smells
good but we keep walking up to the plaza. Now we hear an amplified voice
reciting. There is a speaker mounted up under the eaves of the east
side of the church. Is it a recording or live? It is an eloquent voice.
Sounds like a prayer or scripture being read. At the top of the walkway
to the right we now see the lights of many candles burning in the stone
shrine there. I see photographs of what I assume are loved ones propped
up against the glasses of many of the candles. Rosaries and religious
scapulars are hung, draped among these offerings.
I see an image of Saint Michael in the shrine. He's my saint. I pray to
him a lot. Can't hurt. He's the big kahuna of angels. He is an archangel
and his legend can be found in Jewish, Christian and Islamic teachings.
This is a big deal. He is the saint of protection for soldiers and
policemen. He also protects all against darker, unseen more esoteric
forces. You don't have to be a solider or a cop to make requests of him.
Though a protector, Michael is also seen as a "psychopomp", a strange
word, it means "conductor for the souls of the dead". Like a Walmart
greeter for the afterlife I guess. The "Michael" named in the old folk
song "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" is purported to be him. He is rowing
to shore to gather souls.
Now we are almost at our destination.
NEXT: Quietus
-Jeff Falk
I know I am joining late in the discussion- at part 6.......
ReplyDeleteThe perception of religion in general, and Christianity in particular- is interesting. Religion and its "icons" are depicted from a serene, sentimental and nostalgic viewpoint. "Pilgrims", or church goers are portrayed as supertitious or oblivious to spirituality, as they are subject to pre-established rituals and holidays. They are depicted as simply unenlightened masses that simply go to church to fulfill tradition, or out of supertition or a sense of duty. Yet there is a mysterious surreal element to religion depicted in the story as well... in which the religious church grounds are portrayed as a "dark mass ... outlined in a halo from the lights of the plaza on its north side." Furthermore, there is also the accurate recognition and disgust of how many modern churches and religion have become tained with greed and comercialism.
The travelers recognise that they are at the church on off- hours, before dawn, and that the "faithful"- crowds will arrive at a designated time- specifically "Good Friday".
Ironically, the travelers see greater beauty and mystery in the peaceful environment that surrounds the church. Perhaps, the travelers are depicted as being gifted with greater spiritual clarity than those who attend church and are depicted as "religious". It is possible the travelers recognise the hypocricy of those who practice spiritual rituals yet in actuality have very little faith. The travelers may be making an analogy comparing the established church and its members to the pharisees in ancient times who were all about rituals and appearances. Jesus compared the hypocritical pharisees to white washed tombs- which sparkled on the outside, yet were filled with filth and pollution and dead men's bones on the inside. I can not help but feel that these were the dominant thoughts of the travelers as they approached the church- in which a biblical day of significance, Good Friday was tainted when it became comercialised into a money making opportunity. It also reminds me of Jesus' condemnation of the money changers at the temple, in which God's house was tainted with greed and commercialism.
continued....
ReplyDeleteThe travelers reverently and repectfully describe the "crude, wooden, crosses that people have made from the small pieces of cottonwood branches" These symbolic elements, perhaps are the only representations of sincerity. Yet were these symbols crafted in supertition on true enlightned faith? For the travelers that does not matter. The travelers shared their thoughts.." I think I know what these crosses are. They are prayers."- yet they do not eleborate any further. I could only assume that for the travelers, it is the sincerity that matters and not the actual belief system behind the action. I would have liked to see the characters engage further into this matter.
Yet, later in the story I find myself dissallusioned and even dissapointed with the main characters when I read their reactions when they encounter a religious statue. In contrast to the reverent description of the homemade crosses, the travelers find themselves impressed by the large, imposing, shrine of "Saint Michael" which represents wealth, and craftsmenship but not neccessarily sincerity or faith. This is analogous to the fancy idols and expensive statues that are condemned by Jesus who advocated a simple, genuine faith free from materialsim and lavish greed. Yet upon seeing the image of Saint Michael in the shrine, the travelers proclaim, "He's my saint. I pray to him a lot. Can't hurt. He's the big kahuna of angels. He is an archangel and his legend can be found in Jewish, Christian and Islamic teachings. This is a big deal. He is the saint of protection for soldiers and policemen. He also protects all against darker, unseen more esoteric forces." In fact the reader, might even go so far as believe that the travelers respect and perhaps worship St. Michael. Ironically, more discussion and descritpion as to Michael's role is portrayed, to the exclusion of Christ himself. Is the worship of a statue defined as "pure, untainted" religion? Based on the information presented I believe that their definition of pure untainted religion is defined as sincerity- and it does not depend on the set of beliefe themselves.
Another possible scenario is that Michael is depicted for illustrative and satirical purposes only and that he is simply a sterotype for society's need for a suphero. Perhaps the author is making an anology and stating that saint worship fulfills the human need to worship something or some entity greater than ourselves and that it is the adult, or more mature equivalent to the comic book superhero. It is possible the author simply intended the characters to represent the human condition- while they have some spiritual inisght, they are still subject to the defeciencies of the human condition and they themselves feel the need for a superhero or savior to rescue them.
sorry for the typos
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