Pages from the past
Dec. 20th, 2003 01:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
weaktwosHiking with my friend Jingle D(I'll call her that because she goes cuckoo for Christmas time. Lights and decorations everywhere, remote control tree lights. Oy!)--anyway, back to the story--hiking with Jingle D was a beautiful experience, but it gave me some reason for contemplation.
Before our hike, we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is built into the mountains of Sedona. If you are the devoutly catholic/religous sort, I agree that this is a great place for worship. However, some incidences occurred that perturbed me spiritually.
There is a gift shop in the basement of the Chapel. There, you can buy various religiously charged souvenirs. Some of these include pocket metals. You can acquire metals for protection from various situations, like the St. Christopher Motorists metal, or St. Francis of Assisi (I presume for general protection).
When we left, Jingle D put the metal in her driver's side visor. To me, the metal did not appear particularly secure. I suggested that she put it in her dashboard compartment, or the compartment between the two front seats. She ignored me. As she rounded a corner when driving away, the metal shot out of the visor and just missed her head. She got a little agitated, partially amused, but partially not-so-amused. She asked if that was a bad omen. I said, "No, St. Christopher is merely suggesting that he be placed in a location such as this." I motioned to the central compartment. "You know, the Lord helps those who help themselves, D."
She put the metal in that location, and off we went.
What annoys me about the whole protection metals concept is that it strikes me as predominantly meaningless. I can't see how buying a metal should afford you any more protection than that of a believer who does not own a metal. What if you are a poor person and cannot afford pocket metals? Do you therefore get less protection? I suppose it must function in the same way as rosary beads. This blending of physical symbols for enhanced spiritual protection annoys me. It is a shame that people need such things to ease their anxiety. However, if it gets you through the night, so be it.
Before our hike, we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It is built into the mountains of Sedona. If you are the devoutly catholic/religous sort, I agree that this is a great place for worship. However, some incidences occurred that perturbed me spiritually.
There is a gift shop in the basement of the Chapel. There, you can buy various religiously charged souvenirs. Some of these include pocket metals. You can acquire metals for protection from various situations, like the St. Christopher Motorists metal, or St. Francis of Assisi (I presume for general protection).
When we left, Jingle D put the metal in her driver's side visor. To me, the metal did not appear particularly secure. I suggested that she put it in her dashboard compartment, or the compartment between the two front seats. She ignored me. As she rounded a corner when driving away, the metal shot out of the visor and just missed her head. She got a little agitated, partially amused, but partially not-so-amused. She asked if that was a bad omen. I said, "No, St. Christopher is merely suggesting that he be placed in a location such as this." I motioned to the central compartment. "You know, the Lord helps those who help themselves, D."
She put the metal in that location, and off we went.
What annoys me about the whole protection metals concept is that it strikes me as predominantly meaningless. I can't see how buying a metal should afford you any more protection than that of a believer who does not own a metal. What if you are a poor person and cannot afford pocket metals? Do you therefore get less protection? I suppose it must function in the same way as rosary beads. This blending of physical symbols for enhanced spiritual protection annoys me. It is a shame that people need such things to ease their anxiety. However, if it gets you through the night, so be it.
