HONORING MOTHER EARTH

Yesterday, a friend of mine on Facebook made a post and wrote, “In honor of Mother Earth…” to a link she shared. I have written a lot about Mother Earth in my posts on Facebook, but when I read those few words, “Honor Mother Earth” they resonated with me on a different level and I wanted to see where my writing would take me focused on these powerful words.

I had never heard of these words before until I began reading about Native Americans back in the nineties. This obscure concept of honoring our planet never was taught to me in school, or by my parents or by anyone else for that matter. We were taught how we can take from the planet, strip the earth of valued natural resources that would improve our lives, but never honor or respect Earth, our home. In school we were filled with supposed facts in our science classes about Earth, but never the ideas of honoring her or respecting her. Back then, I could not imagine anyone even being able to comprehend such an idea. Many misconstrued this idea to worshipping or idolizing animals or the Sun or Moon as Gods by the misguided heathens still believing in primitive and uncivilized behavior.

The meaning of honor in the dictionary is to have public esteem; good name; privilege; fame; glory; sense of moral standards; respect and salute, to name a few. Pretty much all of these are relating to man. In our modern society, honoring something that is not human or relating to God would be considered blaspheme. I remember not long ago I was camping with a friend and I suggested we give thanks to the fish we ate for giving of their lives to feed us. He exploded in outrage, “we should only give thanks to almighty God, not a fish.” I gave thanks to the fish anyway.

How many of us can say, “I honor Mother Earth.” Planet Earth is our home, the only home we have – a place that gives us what we need to survive as a species. A place with amazing diversity in the animal world and within the many diverse ecosystems on earth. A place with incredible beauty and magical wonder. When we are in the mountains, or in the forests, or in the country side or next to the ocean, in nature we feel a sense of connection with our surrounding environment. But honoring, I don’t think so!

We honor God, but we will not honor what we believe She has created for us. I believe, if we honor our God or Creator, we should also honor all life if we believe the Creator has created all life. We even honor our fellow man who may or may not be deserving of such an honor. I personally feel very honored that so many of my friends on Fb who are Native Americans or First Nations have accepted me into their family.

With all this honoring we do as humans and the belief that the Creator has created all life (assuming you do have this belief), we openly except the dishonoring, disrespect, the abuse, the trashing, the destruction, the raping and the poisoning we continue to do to our home that sustains and gives us life – all life. We have reached such a point of total denial with our relationship with all living things and with ourselves, we are willing to ignore the most emanate threat that faces mankind and all life on this planet today – and that is Global Warming and yet we seem not to care.

In honoring something, we usually feel a deep connection with that thing, usually a person or a deed taken by someone. We cannot comprehend in our disconnected reality to nature, the possibility of even the thought of honoring a thing like our planet or other life forms other than ourselves. Our mind-set of the human species being supreme beings and separate from nature is a delusional idea that has obviously not done well for the planet or other life we share our home with or with us. It indicates in our modern society, we place more of our value on things, material things man has created then we do to life itself, to nature and the health of our planet. We continue to consume and consume more stuff then we can possibly use with little concern for the negative impact it has on our planet. The natural world never seems to play into how we live in modern society except for the endlessly consuming of its natural resources, occasionally looking at it, sometimes appreciating it and of course using it to pleasure our superficial needs to be and feel in control over nature that in itself is an illusion we have created. We can manipulate nature, we can use nature for our own personal needs, we can kill life in nature or poison nature, but nature, Mother Earth will have the last laugh with our arrogant attitude that we can dominate nature.

With our disconnect to nature, to the natural world, we complain when the weather is not to our liking with no understanding or appreciation that weather is an important part of our planet, to all life. We have been brainwashed by the weather reports on the news into believing that the weather is evil and it is out to destroy us and our property. It is out of control with a vicious temper man has not yet been able to control. The exceptions are when the weather suits our needs and plays by our rules. We see nature at times as a threat to our very existence that can cause horrific devastation in our lives and to property by what we refer to as natural disasters which obviously does happen. What we don’t see is that this is what nature does and it is up to us to take the responsibility to limit the impact these things have on us by our understanding that these things will happen and take the necessary precautions to minimize the impact.

Indigenous cultures all around the world have warned us repeatedly what will come if we don’t honor and respect Mother Earth and everything she provides for us and to all life. The Native Americans and the First Nations have share with us their teachings and wisdom, and have reminded us to honor Mother Earth. Their teachings and cultures are based on honoring Mother Earth and to all life. Their story telling, their songs, their dances, their ceremonies, their language and traditions are all related to honoring Mother Earth, honoring all life, and honoring the Creator.

We have chosen to live in a synthetic world with an unnatural connection which conflicts with the natural world. We have completely abandoned the natural world we have been part of for tens of thousands of years and have become accustom to and have accepted eating foods that are unnatural and unhealthy and foods that are genetically modified and foods laced with toxic chemicals. We turn to synthetic medicines that cause more harm to us than natural medicines. We choose unnatural things over what nature can provide for us for free.

We have a simple choice, choose to respect, protect and honor Mother Earth, or Mother Earth will have no choice but to eliminate the human parasite. We have all the knowledge and information to do the right things, but we have to make the decisions and take the responsibilities in doing so. Our planet is sacred, all life is sacred, we are sacred.

I have included a comment a Native American friend made to one of my writings that I wanted to share.

“ Rick, hi and thanks for painting that collage. Nice. Real. Truthful. Worried. Americans are unconscious of nature on this continent because they have no starting point here and they carelessly left any “origin” somewhere between Europe and here. You are so very correct about earth’s condition that, because of rampant overpopulation and limited resources may never regain livable balance. Too many indigenous follow the crooked white man path which leads to earth’s demise. After this earth perishes where do we go? In our ancient history and legend we are pointed towards the full moon upon the horizon. The Elder asks, “What do you call that? We answer, “Moon, of course.” The Elder shakes his head, “No. That is First Earth.” He then tells us what happened to First Earth to cause it to turn into a dead planet when it had all of the life our current earth has. Two thoughts came. From where nobody knows. One thought looked upon First Earth and said, “This is mine. I’ll use it for myself. The other thought said, “No! You must save First Earth for generations of children coming. “There was big arguments. There was big war. The side wanting to use earth used up half of First Earth assaulting the side that wanted to save First Earth for children coming. The side wanting to save First Earth used up half of earth’s resources defending against assault. First Earth was all used up. One day First Earth caught on fire. There was not enough water to put fire out. First Earth burned into the moon.”
The Elder then compared the “thoughts” and intents of humanity today with humanity then. In those days earth lacked love, appreciation and protection (like all mothers). The imbalance is apparent. Too many people are consuming earth and earth’s limited resources. Because of our habits, entire sections of the vast ocean die by poison and pesticide. Rivers burn like gasoline. Love and respect for earth simply does not exist. Earth is ragged and worn yet we continue to pour waste into the water and oil and jet fuel into the ocean.
We have a choice, either cease our wrong habits and amend our lives accordingly, Love Mother Earth cease pollution and protect earth with our hearts or stand somewhere in the vast darkness watching two moons silently move across the night sky.

We are instructed to use DANZA and YE’JA to bring abundant love to Mother Earth, which is a story for tomorrow.” Babe

I am sorry to say, Babe is no longer with us. I felt honored in his sharing with me his thoughts as a Native American.