My walk

So, I just finished reading a fun and easy book called "Growing Up Yanomamo" by Mike Dawson.

1 of 10 children this missionary couple had, Mike was born and raised with the Yanomamo.

It was a book lent to me, so I have already returned it . . and for that I am sorry. I am sorry I can not quote you some of the book here *sigh* because although it was fun to read of hunting monkeys and wild boar, getting stupidly close to anacondas, and him holding his breath while a jaguar hunted him, I was mostly touched by how in tune the yanomami where to the spiritual world.

All this world will pass away, it is mortal. My body, my flesh, my things, the items that seem so permanent to me, like the sun, the universe, and even time itself ,will all pass away. Yet our souls remain, God is the great I AM and that means never changing . . the spirit world is eternal. So in essence it is the more "real" of the two worlds and we are . . . a puff of smoke, a flash of light.

Why then do so many deny the existence, and workings of the spiritual or that it surrounds us? Hmm? Because we can't see it? Like the baby before it gets the idea of permanence goes through that stage where if he can't see the thing, then it just ceases to exist. It is a belief that is both dangerous and stupid.

In Spanish there are two verbs: ser and estar. If you use the babel fish translators they will give you "to be" for both of them. But one is used for something that does not change, and another for something that may.

'To be' or not 'to be'?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Anyways - ser is the not-changing verb of 'to be', "I am a woman." would be translated with the ser verb. "Yo soy una mujer." Even if I had serious surgery, my chromosomes would give me away; I am a woman and that won't change. But if I were to say - "I am tired." I would use the estar verb "Estoy cansada." Because that will change (soon, hopefully, please) . . .

God's I AM never changes, never has, never will. He is the Great YO SOY!

How can I, changing from one nano-second to the next, think of my existence here as more "real"?

Back to the book, these yanomami were sitting around the fire with Mike when they asked him what was so different about the white man and them so that if the white man wants to be covered from the bugs, he goes out and makes clothes. If he wants to cross the ocean he makes a boat and does so. And if he wants to, he goes builds a ship and walks on the moon. What is the difference?

Unable to quote from the book I will paraphrase here: Mike couldn't respond and the talk around the campfire grew silent as they pondered this until one of the yanomami spoke up and said he knew! See, Mike's forefathers served the Creator God, and He is the giver of wisdom and so the descendents have been blessed . . where as the yanomami forefathers serve Satan and have been enslaved by him and his spirits and, therefore, kept in darkness.

Could you just chew on that for a moment.

This is getting long - so I'll continue next Monday . . . .