In my first baptism (age 12 or so),I was dunked by a minister in the baptismal pool behind the choir loft in front of the whole congregation. It was an affirmation of what had already happened. My heart had been flooded with an Awareness I will not even begin to attempt to explain.
In my second baptism (age 37 or so), I took off all my clothes and jumped through a hole in the ice in a wild stretch of the South Dakota Missouri. I plunged into the brown murkiness, looked up, saw the light above me, and rose into new life. It was an affirmation of what had already happened. I was born out of the world of men and into the world of the Earth, the Cosmos, and all living, dying, transforming.
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"We are co-creators of our own destiny, which is inseparable from that of the universe. It is in this that our dignity consists." -- Raimon Panikkar, Christophany
ReplyDeleteMy second baptism was also in the wild Missouri River in South Dakota. In my case, the river itself conducted the ceremony; forcefully pulling me under and holding me there until I became aware of the peace that comes from recognizing my own impermanence. For a brief moment the choice was given me to live or die, and I chose to live. At that precise instant, the river gently placed me on an underwater sandbar, which allowed me to stand up and walk all the way to shore.
ReplyDeleteI love the Panikkar quote. I've never heard dignity described quite so well.