Kemet Online: Followers of The Religion of Ancient Egypt: How are we feeling?

Em hotep, everyone! <bow>

I suppose that you, like us, are still deeply affected by the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina--not only the storm itself, but also what happened afterwards. People are talking a lot about where to lay the blame: on the New Orleans or Louisiana authorities who knew the danger but didn't repair the levees or maintain the pumping stations adequately; on President Bush and/or the Director of FEMA, for a response far too little and far too late; on the residents of New Orleans, who knew the danger but didn't evacuate as they were told to do; and so on. Some of us here may be tempted to blame Set. But as important as these discussions are, both now and in the future, they are not the only response we, as children of Netjer, have to this tragedy.

Calls for monetary support began immediately after the hurricane, and I know that a lot of us have made contributions as much as we can--sometimes more than we can--in response to these calls. How can we not? When we consider that it could be our parents or grandparents, our children, ourselves affected in that way, of course we want to do whatever we can, human being to human being, to help. But as important as this is now and will continue to be, this is not the only response that we may be having.

Even if we lost no one in the floods, even if we had no friends or family affected by the hurricane, even if we've never known anyone in the Gulf Coast or ever been there--even then, we are all affected by what happened last week. Speaking for myself, when I read and heard accounts of people knowing that their loved ones were trapped in their homes and died before anyone came to find them, that was a powerful blow to my heart/mind. All too easily I could visualize my beloved grandparents, long dead now, in such a situation, and it was almost too much to bear. When I heard how people had to leave their beloved animal companions behind when they fled--or perhaps even harder, had to give them up when they got on the buses, having rescued them until then--I could hardly breathe. Today on the news I saw a dog clinging to a large tree branch in the water, a beautiful dog, and I knew no one would take time to try to save him. How could they, when so many human lives are still at risk?

I am deliberately multiplying the images here, because I think it's important for us, not to be traumatized over and over, but to pay attention to how we are hurting. We may well be safe and dry, knowing that our loved ones and our pets are safe--I pray Netjer that is true for all our members. Nevertheless, such a tragedy affects all of us. It may raise up feelings left from times when we didn't feel safe, when we weren't in control of our lives in some essential way. It may remind us of losing people and animals who were deeply precious to us, even when they went gently in their sleep. It was a loss, and in the face of this tremendous loss, we may feel our own loss again.

At the same time, we may feel that cresting wave of gratitude that we are, in fact, safe; that we do, in fact, know where our beloveds of all species are; and that so many people were, in fact, rescued in spite of the difficulties facing them and their helpers. We can observe how people we know, and we ourselves, are reaching out in whatever way we can to those whose need is so great. We are, after all, all Netjer's children, and we all celebrate life, existence, vibrancy, joy, and peace.

I have started this thread as a place where we can safely say how we are feeling. Sad, angry, confused, hurt, frightened, grateful, whatever it is. This is not to wallow in bad feelings; it is to turn loose of feelings that otherwise could become obstacles in the way of our heart/minds opening to healing. I encourage you to join Rev Renee, Wab Jen, Wab Andy, and me here in this place that we will hold safe.

I also encourage you to do two other things: First, if you need to talk about whether funds should be have allocated for New Orleans' aging defenses against floods, or whether the response teams were great or terrible, or any of those issues not connected with feelings--no problem. But please save this space for our emotional responses.

Second, please also look at the thread here called How are we taking care of ourselves? That's as much our responsibility now as contributing money and praying for those who are becoming our akhu. There are many ways we can care for ourselves and our families, and paying attention to them can put us back in the driver's seat of our lives.

May all of us continue to have open heart/minds towards those who have died, those who have lost loved ones, those whose lives have been turned upside down, and also towards ourselves.

Kheperu! (May it become!)

Rev Sedgwick

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Rev Sedgwick Heskett, Hemet NebetHet-Nit and Amun
Heri Tep Hem Netjer Per Ankh
Per Ankh: The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt
http://www.per-ankh.org