“Praise the Law”
I heard this term repeated several times at great speed by the kids in the school that has newly moved opposite my house.
“Praise the law, praise the law, praise the law”
Judging from the way they were standing, it was their morning invocation being diligently inculcated to the young ones by the well parroted and practised adults.
I snorted to myself. I remembered such parroted prayers. I am not sure they did me much good. Not in a spiritual sense. It helped keep the status quo. And some feigned piety. That’s about it. And its root was fear.
Fear and spirituality don’t go hand in hand. But in this case, children can’t be taught true spirituality, can they? They must be taught “respect” AKA fear.
“You must be good or God will get angry. As long as you do what he says, he will never let you down” the teacher continued after praising the law.
Sure teacher. Definitely what God wanted – you would know right? Coz, you’re…God’s regent?
I felt sorry for the kids – listening to & reciting praise the law was bad enough but being told veiled threats like this can’t be nice.
I heard the rustling of the trees, the breeze and the parrots and other birds in the morning. They were my daily reminder of faith, spirituality and whatever higher being’s existence.
I continued my walk around the garden with a mug of water and thanked whatever powers that I was no longer in school, no longer attending mass & no longer feeling threatened by a heavenly father who was supposed to be loving.
Breaking the law indeed. But in a good and healthy way.
Praise the Lord, as it were.
