The Role of Priest/esses

[qos]

poliphilo just made a very interesting post.

His statement is that the primary job of a priest of any religion is to "stand at the edge of the world and point" to what lies beyond, reminding others that there is an edge. Anything else she does -- social work, political work, etc. -- is a distraction from that primary purpose.


My response:

I definitely agree that being on the edge and pointing to it is part of the work of a priestess -- but it seems to me that without also being engaged in the world in some way that is consistent with the basic tenets and values of her faith she and all that lies beyond the edge risk being labeled as irrelevant.

If a priestess does nothing but point to "out there" then it implies that the "out there" is not also "here with us." And it is. It must be if there is to be any point to spirituality.


Your thoughts, my friends?

Comments

[rebeccax.livejournal.com]

Totally agree. Besides, defining things as being "out there" encourages dualistic thinking. And the implication of not being engaged in the world around you is that "out there" is an impossible and unrealizable goal. But when you engage in things like social work you teach people how to manifest divinty.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Yes!
Exactly!

[oakmouse]

WORD!

[blessed-harlot.livejournal.com]

I like the stand on the edge imagery. The dualism of naming this world as irrelevant certainly doesn't resonate with me, though there is an urgency and a radicalness that I can appreciate in his attitude about it.

I would instead be interested in adapting the edge imagery to some sort of liminal space of balance between two (or more) worlds. Yes, walking between worlds, but not to condemn one and promote another, but to remind us of the importance of each, to speak to the complexity of bringing them into their proper relationship with one another, to witness to the vast beauty of both.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[nepthytis.livejournal.com]

That's why one hand of the Magus points to the Earth while the other points to the heavens. A priest or priestess functions as a bridge, not just a signpost in the wilderness. And a bridge you can't access does no one any good.

[qos.livejournal.com]

I agree. Very well said!

[oakmouse]

Being on the edge doesn't obligate you to be a signpost. It entails doing whatever work you're there to do, and if pointing to things and being a sign isn't part of your work, that doesn't make you any less an edgewalker.

But then I don't believe a priest/ess has to have a congregation, and I suspect that Poliphilo does operate within that paradigm.

[sharpchick.livejournal.com]

I can't separate the spiritual me from the rest of it. My spirit decided to take this human form, and it has to be for more than just my own personal benefit.

I suggest poliphilo might want to meditate on this thought and flesh it out some more.

[rebeccax.livejournal.com]

I'ved been thinking about this on and off all day and something else occurred to me. If the priest/ess is "out there" doesn't that also give them a rather lofty position? What with divinity being so far away and all.

[amqu.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I agree that a priest's job is to stand at the edge and point to what's beyond. That suggests that the earthly and the spiritual never coincide.

However, I most definitely agree that social work and political action are nothing but a distraction to priestly work. That's what social workers and politicians are for. When someone becomes a priest, it means he has dedicated his life to his God. He is a mediator between God and other humans. That is his job. If he wants to do social work or political work, then he should get another job.

[amqu.livejournal.com]

Also, per your comment, "but it seems to me that without also being engaged in the world in some way that is consistent with the basic tenets and values of her faith she and all that lies beyond the edge risk being labeled as irrelevant."

I think this is a statement that displays a person's overarching worldview. It is the God's duty to mold him/herself to the world, not the world's duty to mold itself to God. Or in other words, the world is central to the universe and God(s) are superfluous and capable of irrelevancy, rather than vice versa.

[machiavelli-f.livejournal.com]

This is a fascinating post, and I'm glad to have read it.

I would say that a priest/ess that does nothing but point is, in fact, irrelevant. I would suggest, instead, that it is the job of a spiritual leader to help others find their own spirituality, not to simply remind people that it exists.