{"id":761,"date":"2018-05-05T17:33:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-06T03:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/delisahargrove\/?p=761"},"modified":"2018-05-05T17:33:57","modified_gmt":"2018-05-06T03:33:57","slug":"whale-covering-food-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/delisahargrove\/2018\/05\/whale-covering-food-light\/","title":{"rendered":"A Whale For a Covering, Food, and Light"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Before wood was flown to St. Lawrence Island (at great expense,) Yupik families lived in homes constructed of cavernous whale heads and bones. The same whale\u2019s meat sustained the village and its blubber provided fuel.<\/p>\n

I listened, fascinated, to a lecture on whales and whaling by Bathsheba Demuth, assistant professor of history at Brown University specializing in environmental history, Russian & North American Arctic climate and energy.\u00a0 \u00a0She described the interconnectedness between Yupik people and whales. She spoke of the unfortunate impact of US and Russian commercial and factory whaling on the area. The overarching principles of the Yupik\u2019s interdependent identity really struck me.<\/p>\n

\"St.
From the Report of the Cruise of the U. S. Revenue Cutter Bear and the Overland Expedition for the Relief of the Whalers in the Arctic Ocean from November 27, 1897 to September 13, 1898, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

St. Lawrence Island\u2019s climate limits vegetation growth. For centuries, islanders\u00a0relied\u00a0on bowhead whales for most of their sustenance. Now, other household\u00a0goods and foodstuffs are flown to the island also. Whaling laws prohibit general hunting, but native populations are \u201callowed\u201d six whale strikes a year.\u00a0 If they strike and do not kill a whale, the strike still counts against their total allowable strikes.<\/p>\n

As Professor Demuth spoke, I saw a circle of connectedness.\u00a0 According to her narrative, each species acknowledged the importance\/value\/significance of the other in the ecosystem. Neither species was an object to be exploited or ignored.<\/p>\n

Preparing to Receive the Whale<\/h3>\n

The interconnected process of whale and community reminded me of Latter-day Saints\u2019 interconnectedness to God.\u00a0 I saw oneness and \u201cin,\u201d \u201cthrough,\u201d and \u201cby\u201d in a whole new way.<\/p>\n

Professor Demuth described how the community prepared to receive a whale, proving a worthiness for the animal to sacrifice itself for their community.\u00a0 They performed rituals to cleanse themselves and the physical community.\u00a0 When each community member and the community itself were cleansed, a captain launched his boat and crew into the sea.<\/p>\n

At sea, the captain performed another ritual involving a song, or call, to the whales.\u00a0 He basically asked the whale to come and offer itself as a sacrifice for their community, while expressing gratitude for such an offering.<\/p>\n

\"bowhead
A bowhead whale breaches off the coast of western Sea of Okhotsk by Olga Shpak, Marine Mammal Council, IEE RAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whales would appear in the distance.\u00a0 To the Yupik\u2019s perception, the whale lingered as if considering the offer.\u00a0 Sometimes the whale would dive and never be seen again.\u00a0 Sometimes, the whale would dive and resurface right next to the boat, as if to say it agreed to be a willing offering for another species\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n

The crew would take the whale and transport it back to the waiting community where every part of the whale was used and internalized into their lives in some significant way.<\/p>\n

Significantly, I learned that they actually even lived inside the whale\u2019s carcass.\u00a0 They used it for food and fuel. They protected themselves with it. Their communities left bones or relics visible to honor the whale\u2019s sacrifice for their community.<\/p>\n

This image of the Yupiks totally incorporating the whale brought images of Jesus to mind.<\/p>\n

As a Covering<\/h3>\n

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He that dwelleth in the\u00a0secret\u00a0place of the most High shall abide under the\u00a0shadow\u00a0of the Almighty. I will say of the\u00a0Lord<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0He is<\/span>\u00a0my refuge and my fortress<\/a>: my God; in him will I\u00a0trust.\u00a0He shall cover thee\u2026.<\/p>\n

And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering<\/a>, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in\u00a0order\u00a0the house of God\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As Sustaining Food<\/h3>\n
\n

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. And Jesus said unto them, I am the\u00a0bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never\u00a0thirst<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As a Source of Light<\/h3>\n
\n

I will be a\u00a0light\u00a0unto them<\/a> forever, that hear my words.<\/p>\n

The people that walked in\u00a0darkness\u00a0have seen a great\u00a0light<\/a>: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As Impacting Every Part of Life<\/h3>\n
\n

I am over all, and in all, and through all\u2026.<\/a><\/p>\n

He that\u00a0ascended\u00a0up on high, as also he\u00a0descended below all things, in that he\u00a0comprehended\u00a0all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the\u00a0light\u00a0of truth;<\/p>\n

Which truth shineth. This is the\u00a0light of Christ. As also he is in the\u00a0sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was\u00a0made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;\u00a0As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you\u00a0stand.<\/p>\n

And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your\u00a0understandings;\u00a0Which\u00a0light\u00a0proceedeth forth from the presence of God to\u00a0fill\u00a0the immensity of space\u2014<\/p>\n

The\u00a0light\u00a0which is in all things, which giveth\u00a0life\u00a0to all things, which is the\u00a0law\u00a0by which all things are governed, even the\u00a0power\u00a0of God who\u00a0sitteth\u00a0upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Like the Yupik, I approach God, grateful for a sacrifice for my salvation. The sacrifice is already offered. I need to accept the sacrifice and incorporate it into every facet of my life where I\u2019ll find total sustenance and salvation.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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