Episode 26: Religion and daily life.

This is another one of those prompts that seemed like it would be more interesting when I originally devised this 30 episode series. As a priest, part of the work I do requires that I go and tend my shrine at least once a day – thus, religious ritual is a huge part of my daily life. It feels almost redundant to write anything about religion and daily life – because it just is. But then again – it bleeds into everything I do in ways I never anticipated:

• When I go to the grocery store, I am not only shopping for foodstuffs and necessities, but also keeping an eye out for things that I can use as offerings – foods that are easily portioned and stored, but also appropriate for my gods and enjoyable. The food that I buy for myself is often influenced by the preferences of the gods as well.
• When I go to a department store, home goods store, or craft store, I am not only shopping for whatever goods are on my list, but keeping an eye out for dishes, bowls, cloths and other tools that would be appropriate for use in shrine.
• When I am driving, my mind often turns to my gods, to Their nature, and to contemplating the mysteries I am constantly discovering. Not in a distracted way, of course – but as a peaceful background to the task at hand.

They kind of wove Their way into everything I do. I have tiny mini-shrines popping up all over my living space – pretty collections of kitsch that gradually become “themed” for one god or another. There is an ankh hanging from my rearview mirror where others would hang a rosary. There is a silver udjat on the back of my car, where others would have a small fish (or a noodly monster).

I honestly can’t remember if there ever was a time when my life was totally mundane and ordinary. All I know is that now, I find myself stopping to check out tiny glass dishes because they’d be great in shrine, and buying “myself” bouquets of flowers in the grocery store.