Today is my birthday, and because I’m feeling old and a bit decrepit, I thought I’d turn to my African religion to try to look for some kind of bright side to aging. And guess what? I found it.
In most African traditions, older people are considered some of the most valued members of society. As the Afrika World Website explains, “Old folk are held in high esteem. The community regards their wisdom as prophetic, that is, as able to give direction for living in the circumstances of the present day.”
Lots of cultures (outside of the United States, at least) have respect for their elders. But many African religions take that reverence a step further. Older people can become “living ancestors”—people with the power to mediate between God and humans, even while they’re still alive.
We’ve talked before about how the spirits of ancestors can help out people in their daily lives—protecting them, answering their prayers, and even giving hints and signs about the future. But just as not every person necessarily becomes an ancestral spirit after death, not every ancestor has to be dead.
As author Dominique Zahan puts it, “the ancestor is someone who has reached a great age and who, during his lifetime, has acquired a vast experience of life, human beings, and things.”
So I guess I shouldn’t be depressed about getting older. I already have “vast experience” (and no, I don’t mean it that way—get your minds out of the gutter, people!). Now I just need to get a little older and maybe I’ll get to become an ancestor myself. It’s kind of a comforting thought. Kind of.
I’m glad I was African for my birthday this year. Too bad I won’t still be African next year, when I hit the big 4-0. But that’s something I can whine about another time. For now, bring on the birthday cake!
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