The sweatlodge I built in May was also supposed to be used in June by another group that had invited me in. So I put up signs on the lodge asking for it to not be disturbed or damaged. But just before the June event, an unknown person angrily tore it down. He notified the campgrounds managers that he was upset by it, and so he took it upon himself to remove it. Apparently, some local church-goers knew I'd put up a lodge, and were very worried about it! "What's it for? What kind of ceremonies are done in there? Why do we need it?" Sadly, religion often conditions people to see the world narrowly, and to conclude that anything from beyond one's original schema is "bad" or "scary," and has to be eradicated.

Oh Matt, I am so sorry that the sweat lodge was desecrated in such a way - from fear and anger. It was so sad to read that had happened. The sweat lodge is a sacred place for me (I know it is a new one each year, but I still feel that), I would even go so far as to call it a 'thin place' - a place, in Celtic christianity, used to describe a place where God was closer to earth, easier to access if you like. I am sure I am not alone in that feeling.
Like you, it makes me sad when religious beliefs makes people narrow minded and angry when they act on them out of fear of 'contamination'.

Ok, I’m almost speechless at the senselessness of this act. It’s hard to find words after reading what the unknown person did to the very sweat lodge that changed me and thereby my life so profoundly. I rediscovered my faith, and found the beauty of connection and the sacredness of us all in, and because of, that sweat!

I’m shocked and devastated. Wanting to destroy something so pure, kind, healing and sacred, especially sacred, is beyond my understanding. I want to cry. I am crying. I can hardly imagine what you must have felt when you learned about it. Really sad news.

I get that he doesn’t understand it as he clearly has never experienced a sweat, but why on earth tear down something you don’t understand? Why not let good-will, respect and curiosity be your primary guides and learn instead? Why not ask questions and wait for the answers? And if you can't relate, why not let the rest of us who can, keep what is holy to us? I do get how fear-based anger makes people go round the bend, but I will never fully understand behavior that lacks a heart. I will never accept acts of this kind. I can't. I’m angry; hurt and angry. And sad for all of us who healed a little more in there and/or in other sweats.

In a way, amidst my pain and anger at this act, I feel a little sad for him. If he only knew what he annihilated, he would be deeply ashamed. Had he wanted to explore the unknown instead, he’d be all the better for it now.

Thankfully, we will always carry the ceremony and the reverence for it and for one another in our hearts and souls - what does he carry?

They way I think about it, it's like a physical parable of our own lives. Someone who lacks vision and understanding couldn't see the good in you and tried to knock down the physical form of your being in an effort to eradicate your deeper, purer self.

It didn't work.

We asked the helpers in the lodge to take on burdens for us, and WOW, did they! The lodge itself became a Survivor. Like all of you, it's body was harmed by an angry, blind fool who thinks he succeeded at overpowering someone, and maybe even used religious arrogance to justify it. But the lodge will be rebuilt. And the spirit that we all felt there is still alive and precious within us, and hasn't been touched. In fact, we're united by our sadness and outrage that someone would try to harm such a spiritual thing, just like we're all finally able to grieve that someone tried to harm our spiritual brothers and sisters in the same way. Our feelings come from being aware that what was broken apart was something truly worthy and important, something that deserves respect, something that many hands had worked together to build up. It's exactly the way I feel about all of you.

So what happens? Is the sweatlodge defeated? Does it spirit vanish now? Do its blessings stop being real in our lives? Do the things we felt and learned and achieved there stop being true?

No more than the worth of YOUR spirits, teachings, achievements, and worth stops being real just because someone thought they could wound YOUR bodies.

We rebuild, look forward to the next blessings and spirits still to come, and feel glad that some blind fool will never, ever be able to take them away from us, no matter what he tries. And our journey goes on without him, and he'll never experience what we've experienced. It's him that's become disconnected from the chance to experience those wonders, not us. It's your abusers who have lost that connection to spiritual awe, not you.

The sweatlodge BECAME one of us. The sweatlodge took on our experience. And in doing so, gave us all one last, amazing teaching: the way you all feel about it being torn down, and the way you all feel about how its beauty and meaning and sacredness ought to have been respected and ought to be rebuilt again, is the lodge's last amazing teaching to you about how each of you ought to see yourselves. (some of you might remember my prayer inside the lodge, "Help these people see themselves the way you see them." Perhaps that's exactly what's happened, as you express your feelings about what was done to the lodge?)

Consider that the lodge sacrificed itself to teach us that about ourselves.

And as we pledge to rebuild it, and to rekindle its gentle, powerful sacredness, so let us remember the teaching that we must do the same for ourselves. The lodge became a survivor, and must be rebuilt and renewed, because it's precious and sacred. Tearing down its physical form cannot change that.

Nothing people like this do can take from us what we've gained on our journeys: tribal bonds, understanding, wisdom, new definitions of beauty, grace, love and even a bit of peace for the journey ahead. We will carry on! We will embrace survivors as we meet them! We will not be silenced! We will continue to heal! We will rebuild, again, and again!

There ya go!

Oh wow! You guys are so American! (I love your passion and the fact that I have a Brit stiff upper lip and just say I am a bit annoyed!!)

"The Cruciatus curse causes a wee bit of a fuss..."

Lol, you two!

On a more serious note: really powerful posts from you both, Matt and mnb. When I boil it all down for myself I get one word: Indestructible. Because of that something is loosening up inside me and I'm getting angry. I'm so frustrated because I don't know the cause of that anger!

Before I used to cry without knowing why, but these days I know. Now anger has taken its place. Enigmatic anger - oh joy... But I feel stronger regardless, so I suppose it's all good. Or will be. Eventually. *growl*

Wow..I am surprised that someone could do that but then, not surprised at all. Why do that? I understand the ignorance/fear but still..why?

Matt, sometimes you say/write the most beautiful things that pack a punch right where they need to.

It is so shocking that someone tore it down.

I wonder, if they did it from religious motivations, what thought processes they went through to decide that destroying a place of real, genuine healing was a bad, dangerous place?

I love Matt's metaphor of how the lodge itself became a survivor. The symbolism of it being torn down and resurrected is so powerful. Did the lodge become a bad, rejected, thing of hate because someone sought to damage and destroy it? No. Then also, none of our beings or bodies have become those things either. Our own holiness, wholeness, preciousness has lived through our damage, and has become whole by our work to heal, and the community of those who love us that has helped to rebuild us.

Awesome.

I too agree that Matt's story is beautiful. I am so proud to be a part of this tribe of people from all over, and all walks of life and beliefs. I personally believe that the church or body of believers are made up of people, not the building/or lodge where they meet. I do believe that the places for prayer and worship should be respected and taken care of. They are places of honor and where people meet together to pray and seek God. But, they are also made of things of this world, and will pass away, age and serve there purpose as long as they stand. But, taking down, tearing down or burning a place of worship, just because you do not agree with something is not very honorable. I am thinking that the man that tore down the lodge, has not idea what he is dealing with, he is probably afraid of what he does not know or want to know. Unfortunately there are lots of people like that out there. That is why I think it is so important that you search for truth is an individual journey. We do not all believe the same, but we do seem to have a common respect for others beliefs, and by searching and studying together and talking we learn, and sometimes we change our minds about things. Religion is a journey too.

As for the sexual comments by the writer mentioned here. This is a huge issue for me, I grew up in a very conservative church (not that way anymore) and in a conservative community (not that way anymore either). Rural areas, everyone knew everyone else business... I could never understand why some of my friends lived in households where whatever the "head of the house" (male) said was law, and no one ever questioned it. I grew up where my parents did everything together, my dad cooked and cleaned, my mom mowed and gardened...they both worked, and we camped and fished together on the weekends. My grandparents were farmers, everyone worked...I don't remember ever really feeling like one spouse was over the other. But, I would go to a friends where the father was treated like someone to be feared, and you had to have permission to approach him, I always felt sorry for those kids, there dad's seemed mean/distant and strange to me. I still see that some today, but less and less in our church.

I was taught that submission was between the husband and wife, not for one to be submissive to the other, but submissive to each other, which to me means communication and compromise, understanding and caring....not dominance and subservience. Marriage always takes work, and should be a partnership, if you don't want to do something...then there should be an understanding and it should be okay.

Well I am on a soap box now....

You should go on a soap box more often! Well said.