Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Happy Renouncing!

Dear Blog,
Sometimes when I write to you, it will have very little to do with boats.  I hope you forgive me. However, because I know how much you like the topic, I will try to keep your interest by inserting 
nautical terms into this very land-lubbery post.

 

 Notice the gentlemen to your port? They are the Nagas, followers of Lord Shiva, who smear ash all over their bodies to symbolize their renouncement of having "burned" all worldly desires in pursuit of Divine Communion. Notice the lady on your starboard? She is a Catholic celebrating Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and renouncement and the beginning of the season of Lent, or 46 days of purification in preparation for the Resurrection of the Christ. Its curious to me that these two traditions are so strikingly different, and yet so similar. Its kinda like the raghaulers and the stink pots. Each looks at the other  with incomprehension, and yet they are both floating in the same drink.