09/05/08
In my struggle to relate my Peace Corps projects to Samoans, I have tried to tie what I am doing to Samoan culture and beliefs. Since Samoa is an extremely Christian country, one might even say a theocracy, and almost every aspect of Samoan life in some way connects to the church and Christianity, it is natural to connect the results of the diabetes clinic to religion.
The data from the clinic show the average adult male in the village to be in excess of 200 pounds; the average female slightly under 200 pounds. Samoans are obese, which contributes to 33% of the village, including children, having diabetes level blood sugar. Therefore to connect hugeness to Jesus became my goal.
I have never seen a crucifix or picture of Jesus with a pot belly or lobes of fat hanging from his body. In deed, the pictures show Jesus to be quite trim. When pointing this out to a Samoan, he laughed and said that if Jesus was a Samoan, the Romans would have never been able to get him on the cross. We would never have been saved! One can even imagine a Samoan Mary unable to get on a donkey and whose only method of conception would be emaculate.
Alas, Jesus and Mary are not Samoan and their feasting continues unabated. Once again I am outsmarted by the inscrutable Samoan mind, but undaunted. Somewhere in their laughter is doubt. I only need that one mustard seed of doubt to press onward.
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1 comment:
Be careful> for what were you before being obcessed with weight loss...and now just the right size to be hoisted up along with a few Peace Crop. subjects that have not yet risen in 3 days..."Go Budda"
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